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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29508813">The happiest child in Zaun (English version)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elypsien/pseuds/Elypsien'>Elypsien</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>League of Legends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Jayce eres un pendejo, Jayce you are an idiot, M/M, Male can have children here, Not Beta Read, OC kid - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Piltover, Rare Pairings, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, Viktor and Jayce have a kid, Why I do this at 2 in the morning, Zaun, dont jugde pls, help pls, kind of, more ships later, unpopular ships</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:27:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>31,719</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29508813</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elypsien/pseuds/Elypsien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"When you were born, I promised myself that you would be happy, that I would give you everything that I could not have. That my heart would only feel love for you"</p><p>Words that would turn against Viktor himself, as by seeking the happiness of his child, he would find the happiness that he himself had lost.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jayce/Viktor (League of Legends)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The start of a cry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            A translation of

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29016150">The happiest child in Zaun</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elypsien/pseuds/Elypsien">Elypsien</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I promised to translated and I did :D</p><p>Here it is, The happiest child in Zaun, now in English only for 99 cents per chapter (?(</p><p> </p><p>Also, it is 2 in the morning as of writing this. I am incredibly tired. I will come back later to fix any errors, so please don't judge me too much v":</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>A cry.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>In the early hours of dawn, a new life made itself present in Zaun. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And among all the sickly colors that decorated the landscape of the city, the most celestial and light-filled eyes that had been seen in a long time opened. A beauty that had no place in the city or that's what he thought once he had him in his arms.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Eyes so blue that they did not fit with the green that seemed to plague all of Zaun's air. But a skin so pale that didn’t fit with the warm sun that always washed over Piltover. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And by god, his crying. It was the loudest sound he had heard in such a long time, the little one screamed so much. That child was going to be just like his father, just as striking as him, he would be noticed anywhere.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And even if he just went through the strongest and worse pain in his life, even though he was crying… having that little pale boy, with perfect blue eyes, in his arms and close to his chest… was worth every single second of pain and more.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Through his tears, he did what he hadn’t done in such a long time.  </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He smiled.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He smiled, a weak smile, but the happiness didn’t leave his tired face. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>- D-Dacyan… -With his shaky arms, he enveloped his child in his arms and further put him against his chest, just above his heart, to try to soothe him- Mi little boy... I promise you t-that I will protect you with my life. I w-won’t let him hurt you t-too...</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>He awoke with a small startled gasp and cold sweat on the back of his neck. Having such lucid dreams always upset him a bit upon waking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kept staring at the ceiling of his room for a couple of minutes until his body could finally react and move to get out of the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A memory of his teenage years came to his mind when he used to burn out and fall asleep anywhere, waking up the next day feeling stiff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least now he had learned to be a little more responsible, he used his bed now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quickly he went to the bathroom so he could get ready and start his morning routine, pick up his hair, among other stuff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His bathroom sometimes seemed more like a mechanical workshop than a normal bathroom, since there he made many small repairs to his arms or legs, so he had some screwdrivers thrown around the place, nuts, oil, and other things.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The only thing that gave away it was a normal bathroom, was the small corner where he had the soap and the shampoo, and the small fish toy that Dacyan used to bathe with when he was younger. He used to pout all day if he didn’t have that toy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t bring himself to get rid of the small fish. Was he too attached to that? Maybe, but those were his things, his bathroom, and no one had the right to have an opinion about the things he had in his house. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps when Dacyan was older, he would be embarrassed and ask why he still kept that. But for then, and even now, it was a nice memory of when he was little, of happier and more complicated years at the same time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even now he couldn’t understand how he had been able to raise a child by himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And to tell the truth, he liked to think that he did a decent job as a parent. His little Dacyan was a very bright child. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But hey, enough time thinking about the past. If he kept down that path, he would end up thinking about and/or remembering things that he did not want to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least for that time he spent thinking, was enough time to finish the small repairs on his legs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that, he finally finished his morning routine. He bathed, dried his legs, got dressed again, and when he was getting out, he found himself looking at his reflection in a mirror for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His hair was starting to get long, he never had a smooth and easy to manage hair, and having it long only made it more unruly. Wavy, with locks that came out and settled in random places.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a moment to put on a little ponytail before getting out of the bathroom, he could remove it when he was going to put on his mask. But for now, he had to leave it on or his hair would only get in the way when he was working.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, he considered cutting his hair, but he simply couldn’t proceed with that idea and he hated himself for that. He couldn’t detach himself from the memories and feelings associated with that. Of how he once looked at him with affection and told him how much they liked his long hair, those fingers that ran through his hair the nights he stayed late working and forced him to go to sleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hated himself for that and the worst thing about it was that the other probably didn't even care. Surely it has been years since he had forgotten about that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed again, it was useless to keep thinking about that. He had better things to worry about, and far more important than his memories about a person who no longer mattered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And those important things were how his son seemed to be running around the living room and his laboratory. At least he was already awake.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He left his room and went down the stairs to the kitchen and living room, where he checked the fact that her son was indeed running around the house. He was chasing a small flying machine that was apparently very skilled at dodging people. The child could not catch the device.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fortunately, the machine passed close to him and his third arm caught it without problems. He took it in his other hands so he could examine it briefly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wings were stable, but not very complicated. The engine lacked power, it would not fly long in that state. The steering was completely damaged, it seemed to have taken a hit. And ... was that a little laser beam? But then again, he would need more power if he wanted it to work correctly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- What is this?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- A toy -the little boy answered without hesitation, with a smile on his face-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- A toy with a low-power laser?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I thought you weren't going to realize it -he said with a small pout, then received the machine from the hands of his mother-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You build those machines with materials from my laboratory. Of course, I'm going to figure it out -he said calmly and then went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast - If I'm not mistaken, they look like pieces left over from the last repair of my legs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I did not think you were going to guess that -the boy laughed, also going to the kitchen and sit at the small table they had there, inspecting his little appliance while his mother prepared the food- Can you make me a glass of sweet milk?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- As if you didn’t know me -the older black-haired man laughed slightly, which is very rare for him- You know that it is the first thing I do when I enter the kitchen, we cannot miss the sweet milk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I rather make sure -Answered the kid with a huge and beautiful smile, brightening his mother's day-</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were calm and not really talking during the time it took Viktor to prepare the food, he liked to focus on one task so he could finish in less time. But it’s not like he had to prepare a lot of food in the first place, he didn’t eat too much and preferred to enjoy a glass of sweet milk in its place, but Dacyan did indeed eat a lot. He swore that kid was eating more and more, he definitely hadn’t gotten his appetite from him. But compared to Zaun’s other children, he was infinitely grateful that he ate so much. Dacyan from what could be said of a Zaunite boy, was much healthier than average, except for his legs. But he also worked on it every day and in the meantime, the supports were working very well for him. He was already running and could move like a normal child his age.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, he wasn’t that normal, because no normal 7-year-old would be fixing and improving a small machine before breakfast. Viktor allowed himself to smile calmly as he watched his son working, while he was distracted. He really couldn't believe sometimes how fast time had passed; At one point he had a very weepy child in one of his arms, working with his other two hands or sometimes working with only just one, and with the other left he fed him with a bottle. And now he was already working on his own projects, making his own inventions, and wanting to learn more and more things.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing him in those moments made him feel very proud, seeing him working at the kitchen table, with a look of concentration and with the same wrinkled nose, just like his father used to do when he was concentrated too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed softly and returned his attention to the food, sinking back a bit into his thoughts. Dacyan with those blue eyes and that look of concentration right now looked so much like Jayce. In general, he became more like Jayce every day. While he had inherited his exaggeratedly pale skin and black hair and how he never seemed to be able to comb his hair... everything else was too much like the Piltovian. The height, the build of his body, his clear eyes, how stubborn he was ... It really made him wonder if his son knew Jayce, or maybe that was just life telling him ... fuck you, Jayce's ghost will always be on your back, in your head, it will never disappear from your life. But what did he expected, having a child with arrogant of Jayce level, this was the least that could happen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed again and began to put the food on the plates, one hand getting the sweet milk from the fire. He adored his son, he really did it like few things in the world, Dacyan and Blitzcrank were what made him wake up in the dark days. But every time he looked his son in the eye, he saw Jayce. And he got too many doubts, he made him doubt his ability to raise his little boy well, if he was doing things right and if the decisions he had made for him would not affect him in the future. But he had already made those decisions and had to live with the consequences of his actions. And whatever that meant with his relationship with his son, he had promised that nothing would be missing and he promised to fulfill that, whatever it entailed to him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And recently, he was beginning to think that he now was to pay those consequences.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Mommy, you see I saw this incredible-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- No. -He said without hesitation, taking the plates and putting them on the table-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You don't even know what I was going to say -He said with a small frown, looking to the side-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You were going to ask me to take you to Piltover -He took the glasses with sweet milk and added small marshmallows to his son's, then putting it in front of him- You've been asking me the same thing for a month. At breakfast and dinner, hoping my fatigue will make me say yes. Besides, you only call me “mommy” when you want something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I really want to go! -He pleaded with a small pout- To the lowest part, the one nearest Zaun. I just want to see what it is like, it's not like I'm asking you to take me to Bluewind court… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I already gave you an answer Dacyan, I am not going to repeat myself -He said with a firm voice, to then finally sit down and start eating the little food on his plate-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Fine, but I am going to keep insisting -He sighed and then started to eat too-</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They kept like that for a while, eating in silence. Viktor wasn't a very talkative person and he preferred moments of silence like that, something the black-haired boy had come to appreciate a lot. At first, he thought it was because his father didn't like talking to him, but many times in those moments of silence he was thinking about things for him. He remembered one time when his mother didn't speak to him for the whole breakfast, but when dinner came, he appeared with the dish he was talking about the night before. He really adored his mother, always thinking about how to make him happy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He also had to try to make him happy, his mother worked hard not only for him but in life in general. He had already lost count of the times he would arrive dirty and tired of helping with a chemical spill and yet he would make him his glass of sweet milk before sleeping. For today he would not bother him with that anymore, it was already a lot, he would try to only talk about things that he liked. And there was just something that was surprisingly relaxing and joyful for both of them, a special moment that the two of them shared.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Mom… Can you play me a song on the piano? -He said with a soft smile on his face, hoping to make his mother a little bit happy with that-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Now? -He carefully cleaned his mouth, looking slightly puzzled at his son- You usually ask me that at night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yeah, I want to hear the special song.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan, this won’t make me change my opinion about Piltover -He said tiredly-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I know, I just want to hear you play the piano. I like it a lot when you play it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And as much as he was doing this to make Viktor calm, he was also doing it because he liked it. He knew that the piano was something special to his mother and he was happy to share something like that with him. His mother was not a person of many words, nor did he handle his emotions very well (as much as he claimed otherwise, even he who was a child could realize that it was not like that), but in things like machines and his inventions, or when he played music, his emotions and everything he felt would shoot out of the place. Viktor had a passion for everything he did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Alright, go wash the dishes while I prepare the piano.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They didn't have to say more to the boy, he quickly took the dishes and went to the sink. Viktor got up afterward and left his dishes there too so the boy could wash them and went to get ready to play the piano.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't know why his son had such fascination with hearing him play, but he was glad. Somehow, it seemed that music made them a small family, gave them a connection between the three that was special, even if one of the members of that small family was not aware of anything at all about it. Music made him feel less guilty, for somehow with music he could give his son a bit of his missing father.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He got to the grand piano that he had in his "sitting area", which was more like a living room than anything, but there they kept some fun things and books on different subjects. And of course, his great grand piano. He opened the lid and removed the key cover, feeling pleased with how well the piano was cared for. It had not been easy to bring that piano from Piltover, and technically it was not his ... But he had decided to be selfish and had taken that piano that meant so much to him, it was already his. Jayce could go to hell if he wanted the piano back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat down on the stool and took place to begin playing, ignoring the photograph that was resting on where the sheet music should be placed. He also refused to remove it from there and hated himself for it as well, so he simply preferred to ignore it. As long as Dacyan didn't start asking questions, everything would be fine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just in time, the hurried footsteps of his son were beginning to get closer.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Ready! -He happily said as he settled in a nearby armchair, to be able to put all his attention on his mother's music- The special song, please.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Alright -He said with a small sigh, starting to play just after-</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The older one closed his eyes and began to play the "special song", giving himself the freedom to smile. And even if the song was missing something, it always managed to bring back good memories of the better times when he was younger. Afternoons where he sat in front of the large window of Jayce's house and they both started playing, how when he finished playing Jayce was always looking at him with a stupid in-love face and how that made him laugh. Memories of how they both laid next to each other until night fell and they could see some stars before going to sleep. And now, they also reminded him of the beautiful smile that his son always puts on when listening to it. That song would probably never leave his memory, each one of the notes was already embedded in his soul and they would never go away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he finished the song and opened his eyes, his son had that big smile and a relaxed expression on his face. That smile filled him with satisfaction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I love that song -He said still smiling- I like all the songs you play, but I like that one more. I wish I could play it with you one day…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I already told you I can teach you how to play the piano, you would learn quickly -He said as he was standing up to close the lid of the piano and put everything back in place-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I don't know if I want to play the piano… I don’t think it suits me -He said while thinking a little bit, then getting up himself too to find a book to entertain himself- Do you think the violin suits me? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Maybe… It's a very popular instrument for children, maybe it would be a good idea to get you one -He said thoughtfully, then he finished arranging everything and went to get out of the room- Well, I got work to do. If you need anything-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Wait, mom -the little boy said in a hurry, running to stop his mother before he left the room- Can I ask you a question? Can I keep that photograph? -He said pointing to the small photograph on the piano, hoping that his mother would not be angry about it-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Viktor froze for a few seconds, staring at the photograph with some nostalgia and fear. But in the end, he went back to the piano, took the photograph, and gave it to his son.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- What do you want it for? -He asked, feeling a little nervous-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Because the photo has what the song has missing -He said satisfied, carefully holding the photograph- And you are smiling in it, you don’t do that often, so I like it a lot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- ... Take good care of the photograph. -He just sighed and headed out of the room again. He couldn't argue with his son, after all, he was right-</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He went to his laboratory, intending to start work. But as he sat in his usual place, the thoughts in his head didn’t let him carry on with his normal routine. All the pieces on his work table seemed like pieces of a meaningless puzzle.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He had really deprived her son of many things at his young age and had promised himself that he would lack nothing. He still didn't want Jayce to have anything to do with his little boy at all, he still wanted the arrogant Piltovian as far away from Dacyan as possible. But what he said to him at breakfast ... he was right, it's not like he's taking him to Bluewind. And practically no one in Piltover knew his real face, those who did have probably already forgotten many years ago. They could go, take a walk, buy a souvenir, return to Zaun without anything happening, and they would never speak of Piltover again. They just had to keep a low profile. He could do it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Apretó su puño fuertemente y suspiró, levantándose de su mesa de trabajo. Tomó su máscara, se quitó la coleta de su cabello y colocó el metal en su rostro. Se iba a arrepentir de la decisión que había tomado, pero Dacyan se merecía eso. Se encaminó de nuevo a la sala de estar, donde su hijo seguía, pero ahora se encontraba leyendo un libro.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He clenched his fist tightly and sighed, getting up from his worktable. He took the mask, pulled the ponytail out of his hair, and placed the metal on his face. He was going to regret the decision he made, but Dacyan deserved that. He headed back to the living room, where his son still was, but now he was reading a book.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan, I’m going out. Can you stay alone for a few hours?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Didn’t you have work to do? -He asked, feeling a bit confused-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, but I have to do something more important first -He sighed softly- I will try to come back quickly. You know where the alarm is, also the iridoscope and the golems. If anything bad happens, you can call Bliztcrank.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Don’t worry mom, nothing is going to happen to me here -He put the book aside and got up to hug his mother- If Naph comes, can I let him in?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, but don’t touch anything in my laboratory -He bent down to return the hug to the little one. Smiling as he did so-I love you so much Dei…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I love you too mom -The child smile became even bigger if it was possible, enjoying so much that hug with his mother-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Después de eso, Viktor se despidió de su hijo y tomó su bastón antes de salir de su hogar. Una vez afuera, comenzó a caminar en busca de alguien. Ay, este viaje a Piltóver realmente le iba a salir caro. Más de lo que se imaginaba.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that, Viktor said goodbye to his son and took his cane before leaving home. Once outside, he started walking in search of someone. Alas, this trip to Piltover was really going to take a toll on him. More than he imagined.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Why do you need Piltovian clothes? -The teenager said, almost laughing, putting his bat on his shoulders-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I need Dacyan to pass for a normal Piltovian boy, I don't want him to attract attention at all -He said seriously, with a sigh and crossing his arms- Please do not make this more difficult than it already is.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Sorry, this makes me laugh. Why do you both want to go to Piltover anyway?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- He wants to know what Piltover is like, he keeps insisting on that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh ... Dacyan disappoints me -He sighed with exaggerated drama in his voice- I don't know what he sees interesting about Piltover, he's going to run back when he gets to know the city above.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I tried to convince him of that, but that boy is more stubborn than a mule. I only know of one person as stubborn as him  -If he didn't have his mask on, he would have already put a hand to his face from the stress that this was causing him- So, do you know someone who can get children's clothes?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Maybe, but you’re not going to like him. He is really… a poser and thinks he is so handsome.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Like all Pilties -He sighed- It doesn’t matter, I’m used to those attitudes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Alright then, I’ll try to contact him, but I don’t promise anything -Then he smiled, and it looked a little evil if he said so- This won't come cheap.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Just tell me what you want…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh, I wasn't saying it for me, but if you insist -He smiled, satisfied- II want the recipe for your sweet milk.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- No.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I tried -He said with a small shrug- But I do want to taste it, Dacyan can't stop bragging about how good it is and I have to try it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'm starting to worry about the things Dacyan does when he leaves the house. -He sighed again. That day he would break a record- Well, you can go in the afternoon whenever you want. But knock on the door and wait like a normal person, I have an alarm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, yes, whatever you say. Or I can tell Dacyan to let me in, or Bliztcrank. They have done it before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- What- He was surprised by that, he wasn't going to lie. But now he had too much going on to argue with Ekko- I really worry about the things you do with my children. And I need to have a serious talk with both of you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh come on, I'm a good influence -He said smiling, climbing to a nearby structure to leave- Well if you want those clothes, I have to go now. See you old man!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, the white-haired teenager was gone, climbing and leaping across the roofs and structures of Zaun. He made him wonder if Dacyan was doing those same things. He worried about him, his legs weren't ready for such activities yet. He also hoped that his son was not going down to the lower parts of Zaun, he would really have to scold him if he was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But hey, he couldn't stay there any longer thinking about what his son was possibly doing. He really had a lot of work that day and he had already been away from home for a long time, he had to get to work and make dinner for his son. Maybe he would work a little more these days, he wanted to earn some extra money and buy something for his son in Piltover, something nice that he liked. Or maybe he could buy him the violin if he really was interested and wanted to learn to play it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thing was, if his son really wanted to take that little trip to the city of progress so badly, he would give him the best trip and experience possible. After all, it was a blank page for his son and it was not tainted by memories and bad events.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a determined gaze behind his mask, he looked up where some rays of the afternoon sun were filtering into Zaun. He had promised himself, having his son in his arms, he was not going to let the things that hurt him do the same with his son. He would not let anything or anyone hurt him, because he would be the one who would make them pay with his own hand.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. An eventfull journey</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dacyan finally gets the trip he has longed for, and Viktor can only hope it doesn't bring them consequences later.</p><p>And for a certain Piltovian, only bad things happen to him, one after another.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I came back to fix any errors (?(</p><p>This is the song playing on Jayce memory/flashback: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1C9kpMV2e8</p><p>Just a small detail; I will explain why Garen is in Piltover and Ezreal here is of legal age, I imagine him being like 21 years old. So he can have a baby just fine.</p><p>Please, sleep well. Don't be like me v":</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>He loved the sunset that washed over Piltover, it was his favorite part of the day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The enormous sun turned a beautiful amber color, which made the golden buildings of the city shine. As if the city was made of gold, which gave its last shine of the day and then passed this glow to the stars and let them shine. He truly felt that it was a time to admire, but the main reason he adored the sunset so much was that this was the exact color of Viktor's eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shifted his gaze from the window to his partner, keeping his gaze fixed on him as they finished playing the melody. The black-haired man looked as focused and serious as ever, but he already knew Viktor too well to see that softness in his eyes. He was happy and satisfied in those moments, just like him. Those beautiful amber eyes, which slightly followed the movements of his fingers on the piano, those beautiful eyes that hid so many things.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The black-haired man realized that they were looking at him and when he stared back a bit annoyed, he just smiled proudly and without any shame. He adored Viktor and every part of him, even if he didn't say it out loud. And he felt incredibly special and privileged that only he could see that side of the other.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They finished playing the song, he put his bow aside and rested his hands lightly on his instrument, still looking fondly at the older man.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Why it is that every time we finish playing, you are staring at me? We play together all the time, I don't see anything special about it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You are wrong there -He smiled widely as he put his cello against the wall- These moments are really special, it's really hard to get you out of your experiments.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> -As if you didn't spend whole days working too -He gave a slight dry laugh and turned his face to the side-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- The difference is that I do stop to eat -He said ironically, to then laugh slightly too-</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The brunette got up from his chair, taking a few steps until he reached the black-haired man, who was still sitting on the piano stool. He sat next to him and put a hand on the other's face, to turn him gently so they were looking at each other's eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Do you want to know why I really adore these special moments? -He said with affection and a smile, gently stroking the older's hair-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Why? -Answered the other, slightly amused. As he thought that Jayce was going to say some of his usual flirty personality or compliments for him-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Because you show me so much, you tell me a thousand things without opening your mouth -he leaned a little closer and kissed him gently, enjoying the closeness- You show me how much you love me ...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The black-haired man could only smile, a genuine smile appeared on his face, getting closer to rest his head on the younger's chest and thus also be able to hug him. The brunette gladly returned the hug and gently kissed his partner on the top of his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You are ridiculous Jayce -He answered without any malice and without detaching himself from the other-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- But you love me like this -He laughed softly, beginning to gently caress the black-haired's back- I love you Viktor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Me too -He didn't say it out loud often, but he knew it meant a lot to him- I love you Jay-</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Boom! An explosion was heard in the distance that made him wake up suddenly and therefore fall from the chair where he had fallen asleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That definitely hadn't been a good start to the day, especially since when he fell he hit the table in front of him and caused his cello to move from where it was resting and almost fell to the ground. At least he was able to react fast enough to catch the instrument and thus avoid an accident. That cello was too precious for him to allow something to happen to it, he wouldn't know what to do if it were damaged, it was irreplaceable. So better avoid more accidents, he stood up and took the cello and then put it in its case. He had paid a lot for that case, but it was worth it. All right, now that his adored instrument was out of danger, he could focus on other things.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Like the horrible pain on the back of his neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, no one had him sleeping in a chair in his… Where was he again? Ah yes, he had come to his university lab yesterday afternoon, hoping to clear his mind with that. It clearly didn't work out and honestly, he felt worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why did he think he would sleep better in his university lab, rather than in his comfortable bed? This wasn't even the best of his laboratories, he could go to his main workshop and there he would be way more comfortable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ah yes, he had been recommended that a "change of scenery would do him good" so that he could think more clearly. Well, that change hadn't been good enough apparently. He wasn't going to listen to Heimerdinger again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He moved his neck to the sides and heard a slight crack, which made him make a small grunt of pain. He hadn't slept well and his neck would pay for that. Apart from not only, he had slept badly because of the pain, but that was another issue that he did not want to deal with for now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He needed to get to his house and rest appropriately. Take a bath, fix his hair, put on some comfortable clothes, make himself a nice cup of tea and then go to sleep with nice soft piano music in the background. A perfect ending of the day if he said so… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>NO! No pianos and no piano music. No music in general, because that definitely wasn't helping him right now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed heavily and turned to see his cello case with a somewhat sad look, he couldn't believe that even that wasn't working. Normally when he was frustrated by something at work or by some experiment he was conducting, he simply had to take his beloved cello and start playing. Everything just went to the background and then he came back with a fresh mind and willing to work on all those obstacles that were holding him back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he had tried to do that for the last week and couldn't even play the pieces well, not even the one he liked best. That was what hurt the most about it, the song that he loved so much and that meant so much to him, he couldn't play it well. That felt like a betrayal to himself, the song that he so swore and presumed that he would never forget and that he played by heart, no longer sounded the same as ever. Maybe he had just gotten tired of touching it and listening only to himself, after all, he always played it with Viktor and it was no longer the same, it no longer felt the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed heavily again and got up to gather his things, nothing was ever the same since Viktor left completely. First the Bliztcrank incident and after that everything started to go to hell. After that the times, he saw the black-haired man had become very intermittent and with very hostile interactions, saying very little. The worst had been five years ago, where Viktor had stolen the crystal and then he had gone to retrieve it, destroying the laboratory in his path.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He still remembered Viktor's terrified face, staring in terror as the place fell apart. And well, that clearly didn't go well. The last thing he remembered from that day was seeing how the oldest ran into what seemed like another room in the place. He did not remember it well, because he was looking to get out of the place before everything collapsed. He didn't regret destroying the place, but he did regret that the last time he'd seen Viktor's face, he had that scared expression on him. He knew it was too much to ask, but if he had known it would be the last time he would see Viktor's face, he would have wanted Viktor to have a smile on his face. But by that point they had both done and said too many things that they couldn't take back, the damage had been done a long time ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both had attacked each other, both had been destroyed, he returned to Piltover and Viktor was supposedly dead. Official reports never found the Zaunite's body, so he was presumed dead. He knew that was a lie, Viktor was stronger than that, he knew that he was still alive and that could not kill him. Likewise, once he was recovered he returned to the site where that warehouse was to check the place himself. The only thing he managed to find out of place was a small room (or what was left of it), with a small bed and a broken bookcase. Maybe that was the place Viktor used to rest if he ever did. But what had caught his attention the most was a small, half-built robot, which had been further damaged by the collapse of the building. He ended up taking the little toy home, he thought that someday he might give it to the right owner of it because after inspecting it better, he saw that it had some words engraved on the back. He couldn't decipher everything, but he could understand a name. Dacyan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And still, to this day, that robot was in his house, already fixed and safe in his room. Is not like he went to the street asking everybody their names, but he admitted that he was selfish and did not want to part himself from that last piece that made him think of Viktor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed, remembering all of that was giving him a huge headache as if his frustration wasn't enough. He finished picking up his things, and with his hammer in his hand and his cello on his back, he left the laboratory with every intention of heading directly to his house. He still didn't know what to do to remove that blockage, but at least he needed to go get some rest and maybe eat something. But when he was locking the door, voices were coming down the hall. The funny thing is that one of the voices was that of a baby, which was not often heard in the university.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he turned around he could see Heimerdinger, Ezreal, and a very smiling baby in the arms of the blond. She seemed to be very amused by something the Yordle was holding. Ah, that was what was heard, the little daughter of the blonde man.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Ezreal, Heimer. Nice to see you both here -Then he smiled at the little girl- Oh, you brought your daughter. I haven't seen her here for a long time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He said that out of courtesy more than anything, is not that the small baby was bad, he admitted that she was adorable. But he didn't usually get along with children, he didn't like them… Well, he generally didn't like people, but he never knew how to deal with children. You did a tiny thing wrong and they suddenly started crying. And children didn't usually like him either, he didn't appear to be a friendly person and any kid with a little common sense noticed that. Even Amaranthine, whom he still used to see sometimes with her father in Piltover, doubted that she liked him. At least she had learned to treat him and her father was a good person, so he used to help them when Amaranthine had problems at school. But his experience with children stopped there, and he had no wish for that to change. So he hoped they didn't want him to take the girl in his arms or something like that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- We are taking a vacation from exploring, while her mother solves some issues in Targon -The girl laughed again, but became silent when her attention shifted to the brunette man with the hammer- Do you want to hold her?</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And before he could say no, the blonde had already handed the baby over to him and he had no choice but to accept the girl in his arms. He had no idea how to hold a baby, so he tried to hold her right in his arms. But as he had said, the children did not like him either, and the girl began to cry when she saw his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Children are definitely not your thing -the yordle laughed, seeing how the girl had started crying when the man held her-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Sorry Jayce, it's not your fault. Gemma is normally very cheerful, but she has a hard time being with strangers at first. –The blonde laughed slightly at the scene, but being slightly embarrassed too- Just give me a second, I need to adjust this holder for a moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, he noticed a curious baby carrier that the blonde was carrying and that he was trying to put on because he was being bad at that. And the baby kept crying in his arms, at least Heimerdinger felt sorry for him and began to distract the baby with the toy he brought with him. That calmed the girl enough so that she at least stopped crying. And just in time for the blonde to take her in his arms again and put her in that holder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Ready! I'm sorry my little precious gem -He smiled and made funny faces at his daughter to get her to cheer up and she quickly smiled again- I'm sorry Jayce, you just have to gain her trust, and very soon she will be giving you a beautiful smile. My precious little gem.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No thank you, he didn't feel like gaining her trust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde returned to making funny faces and slightly tickling the baby and she let out a huge laugh. The scene was adorable and managed to make him smile, it was very nice to see how much Ezreal loved his daughter. No one thought the blonde explorer would be such a good father, but there he was with the little girl. For a moment he wondered if he would have been a good father, but anyway, the only person he considered having a family with was "dead" and he had not seen him in five years. So being a father was out of the question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Don't you think this is neat? This holder is great, now I can take Gemma everywhere! Taric is going to love this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Did you buy it in Piltover? Or did you get it on one of your trips? -He paid more attention to the holder and it indeed looked nice, very well designed- It looks really well made.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- No, that's what's neat about it -Spoke the Yordle- Ezreal was telling me how a Zaunite gave it to him. This would be great for working parents!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I got contacted with this Zaunite because he need help with buying some clothes, so I met up with him at a café -Ezreal took a small Silverwing plushie from his pocket and gave it to the baby so she wouldn't get bored- Gemma was fidgeting a little and so he took her in his arms to calm her down and then he went to his house to get the holder. He used this one with his son, but he was very nice and offered to make me one just for me, tailored to my needs. He offered to make one for Taric too, but I doubt he would use it a lot, he loves to have our little girl in his arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- That’s funny, considering how the Zaunites are -He let out a slight snort, after everything that had happened he didn't trust the inhabitants of the city below-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Come on Jayce, you know that there is a lot of talent and a lot of good people in Zaun -The yordle scolded him lightly-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- They had.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Nah, that Medes guy is great. Actually, I made plans to get together again. It was nice to find someone who has kids too, I needed a friend like that -Then the blonde took a look at his watch on his wrist and was a little alarmed- My uncle is going to kill me, I'm already late! I have to leave, gentleman, see you later!</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with an adorable gesture from the little girl, the blonde ran off in the direction of his uncle's office, leaving the Yordle and the brunette alone. Jayce took up his hammer again intending to leave, but a question from the yordle stopped him once more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- And tell me Jayce, How have you been with that change of scenery? Judging from your expression, not very good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I must admit that you are right, I am still blocked and no matter what I do, I still have the same frustration. I cannot work in any workshop, it does not matter if it is in this one in the university or the one in my house. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Jayce… A change of scenery is not going from one workshop to the other -Said Heimerdinger, with a small frown- Have you really tried making a change of scenery? Go out for a little bit, enjoy the sun. Buy yourself some clothes or a dessert or something like that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I would kill for a good glass of sweet milk at the moment…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Then, you have your answer. Go and get some sweets -The yordle looked happy, but then he gave the other a rather sad smile- I know it is not the same, but near Incognia plaza there is a small cafeteria that serves sweet milk and very good desserts, you should go and try them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'll try. See you later Heimer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, he finally took his things and left the place, straight home and thinking about that cafeteria all the way. He doubted it was as good as the yordle claimed, he would never really find someone who made sweet milk as good as Viktor did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But after thinking about it for a while, he had decided that he was going to go.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He would go just for the sake of proving to Heimerdinger that this cafeteria was not as good as he claimed. Yeah, only for that reason. With any luck, he would convince himself to go in the next few days.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>And in those "next few days", the defender of tomorrow had not been the only one who decided to get out of his house. Because the machine herald already had everything ready for the trip to Piltover and his son did not stop thinking that the day should have arrived earlier. However, the older one was not having such a good time as the small boy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viktor was not having a very nice day and the movement of the elevator did not make things easier for him. He felt dizzy and like his world was spinning, even though he perfectly knew it was not because of the movement of the elevator, but because of what that meant. It had been a long time since he had not personally visited Piltover, and especially it had been years since he had gone with his face uncovered to the city of progress. Well, going with a huge scarf and glasses wasn't exactly leaving his face uncovered, but it was so much more than he was used to show. Even in Zaun, he did not remove his mask, only his son could see him without it at home. Not that that meant he was going around without it, he carried it in a small bag that he had brought with him. In the case of an emergency, he would put on his mask, grab Dacyan and run back to Zaun.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And speaking of his son, he wished he had the same enthusiasm that the boy had in those moments. Jumping to see out of the huge hydraulic elevator, running lightly around the place, avoiding people, but clearly excited for that ride. He wished he could have at least a quarter of the happiness of his child.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan, could you please stop running? -He turned to stare at his son, with a slight annoyance on his face. It was nothing against his child, but he was stressed from the trip-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'm sorry mom -The child behaved a bit and went back to his mother's side. But he still tried to see everything around him- Look! There's Blitzcrank!</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy enthusiastically waved his arm to greet the golem that had managed to follow them for a moment. The golem waved his hand too and he could swear he was laughing as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few seconds, Ekko appeared next to the Golem and also started to wave them off with a smile and thumbs-up, making Dacyan laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That laugh reminded him why he did all that, it was worth seeing his son so happy, it had been a long time since he had seen him this excited or happy. If he had this opportunity for his son to enjoy and laugh like a normal child, he should make the most of the world from him. He was grateful to have help and support, even if Ekko wasn't a fan of Piltover, it was nice to see how happy he was for his son.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled under his scarf and raised his hand to say goodbye to his golem and the young Zaunite as well, though of course, less effusive than his son.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan I'm sorry if I seem tense, you know I'm not upset with you. -He sighed softly, turning to see the boy- Still, I hope you follow the rules I told you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I must behave, I must hold your hand, not run too far and… -He smiled happily, remembering the last thing- Oh, and if I see someone with a huge hammer, I must tell you and we must go immediately. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> - Good, you remember everything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He extended his hand to the boy and he took it obediently, then they both turned to the large glass windows to see how the buildings were passing by and the changing landscape.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The black-haired boy was enjoying all the changes, all the different buildings, and how the light was becoming more and more visible, it was no longer that gray and green landscape of Zaun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dacyan went without a care in the world, but Viktor was thinking of a thousand things at the same time. Would their "costumes" be okay? Yes, they looked like normal Piltovian clothes. Ekko's Piltovian contact had turned out to be very efficient and he had gotten the clothes he needed for his son. The blonde had been a bit… persistent and had arranged a meeting that he hadn't had time to back off, but in the end, it hadn't been a bad thing. Surely the only problem with the clothes was that he had had to wear an old jacket that belonged to Jayce, which was still too big for him. But it was an old jacket, which Jayce used to wear when they were in college, so no one in his right mind would recognize that. Other than that, he was also wearing gloves that would hide any modifications in his left arm. He looked like a germophobic Piltovian or with serious allergies, perfect.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan, you know that we will have to go back on foot, so please be careful when walking -He sighed softly and squeezed his son's hand- I don't want you to hurt yourself and I don't have on me all the tools necessary for a repair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'll be good, I promise -The child was silent for a moment and then turned to his mother- Mom, can I ask you something and you promise you won't get angry?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- What is it?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- How much longer till we get there? Are we there yet? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viktor couldn't help but laugh, very small, but laughed anyway, at the very childlike attitude that Dacyan was having. That trip had been a good decision, finally, his little boy with sparkling eyes could be an ordinary child.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just in time, the driver's voice rang out throughout the elevator.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, we're here -They separated from the window and headed towards the exit, leaving as soon as the doors were open- Welcome to Piltover Dacyan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy was bursting with emotion, he couldn't stop smiling and they had only taken two steps into the city of progress. Everything was really golden and shiny, the buildings looked much more luxurious than in Zaun, but that was obvious and expected. The people looked so different from the people in Zaun, they had their hextech machines and inventions, but practically no one was seen with body modifications, they were nothing like the people in their hometown. He wondered if that was the norm in Zaun if it was a rule that everyone should have modifications. His mother had them, his legs and his left arm was almost completely mechanical, but he looked good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Mom, the people here are very different from Zaun's ... They don't have so much metal in their bodies -He said as they started walking towards a more open area, but the boy's attention went to a group of people who were talking strangely- Mom, what are those people talking? They aren't from here right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- No, they are speaking in an Ionian dialect if I'm not mistaken. Commerce is very important here in Piltover, it's normal to see people from many places here -He tried to pay attention as they were passing by. Yes, he did think it was a language from Ionia- Do you want to speak Ionian? I can look for someone who can teach you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- No, I'm fine like this. I'd rather finish learning to speak Demacian -He returned his attention to the road and the shops they were passing through- And I don't like private tutors, I'd rather have you teach me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He really liked that his mother taught him, he was a good teacher and that way he spent more time with him. Also, he felt that he was one of the few people who had patience with him and didn't get angry when he finished things quickly and was distracted by other things that interested him more. Inside he wondered if his father would have that patience with him if he would sit and teach him stuff and do things together. If he would ever love him… he hoped he would.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan, do you want something to eat or do you want to continue exploring the city?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Eh? -That question took him out of his thoughts and he was excited again- Can we do both?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Sure -He said softly- Then let's keep going around the place and we can look for a place to eat while we walk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And for a while, they looked like a normal family, going out one day for a walk like everyone else. The little boy smiled enthusiastically and pointed at everything in his path, from time to time he would separate a little to see something in the window of a shop, while his mother just smiled and let him enjoy the day. Well, Viktor wasn't exactly smiling, but his son's happiness did make him calm and more relaxed than he expected to be in Piltover in plain sight, that was a lot. At one point he too began to enjoy being there, gladly answering all of his son's questions. He reminded him a little of his childhood when he used to go out for walks with his parents and also used to ask them some questions, although not as many as Dacyan. That enthusiasm did not come from his family, that had been from Jayce. If he remembered correctly, the brunette had once told him that he used to drive his parents crazy with how much he annoyed them. He smirked inwardly, imagining his son driving Jayce crazy. He would have deserved it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, they came to a small park, where there were some statues and various games for children. And of course, children were playing there. The black-haired boy turned to see the park, as he expected and his attention fixed completely there. He had a gleam in his eyes, but also with some nervousness, which made the older man feel guilty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew that Dacyan's life was not normal, it was not even normal for a Zaunite child, and he had missed many experiences. His son was a very bright child, he always wanted to learn more and that was something he could help him with, but he could not help him in giving him the normal life that he so much wants him to have. He had never been a very sociable person, he had a hard time making friends and even more after the Blitzcrank incident and his fight with Jayce. While he was not used to being much in the light, attracting attention, he had spread a certain reputation about himself in Zaun. And of course, with that, he gave the children there one or more reasons to not want to be with Dacyan. He appreciated Naph for that, while the way they had met had been somewhat unusual, he had been able to see beyond appearances and had become someone important to his family.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he constantly asked himself if the way he was raising Dacyan would affect him in the future when it came to making friends or interacting with other people in general. But… Now he had a chance, right? There no one knew who he was and Dacyan could interact with those children as he wanted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Do you want to go to play there?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- May l? –He said surprised, trying not to sound very hopeful- Weren't we going to eat?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- We can eat later, you can stay and play for a while -They walked to a nearby bench, where the older sat- I'll be here, just don't go too far.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The little boy hesitated for a moment, but then he gave his mother a huge smile and went off to the games, looking for what to play or something to do, hopefully, he would make a friend. At first, he didn't know where to go, but he noticed a brown-haired boy playing with a small robotic dog, he looked friendly, so he took courage and approached him to talk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To Viktor's great relief, the other kid reacted well and the both of them started playing, his son looked very interested in the other kid's toy. oy reacted well and they both began to play, his son seemed very interested in the boy's toy. He couldn't help but sigh in relief, Dacyan was fine and seemed to get along with the boy, he couldn't hear what they were talking about from where he was, but they seemed to get along. He was really happy to see how great Dacyan was doing in Piltover and he felt like he could finally let his guard down a little. It was very strange that being in Piltover, he could feel a bit relaxed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not knowing that the danger he was so afraid of, was much closer than he thought. Since the day they had chosen for their trip to Piltover, a certain Defender had also chosen it to go out and try to clear his head. However, the defender of tomorrow was not having as much fun as the herald and his son.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Piltie had a morning that day, that perhaps was worse than normal. He was not in a good mood and his work suffered because of that. Maybe it was because soon it would be Progress day, aka, the day that he met Viktor. Maybe that's why he was feeling more frustrated and more annoyed than usual. He got to the point that his employers in the Clan Giopara told him to take a few days off, his project for progress day was already done, so he didn't have much pressure in that regard. So he had taken the day off, went to freshen up at his house, and then went to the damn cafeteria that Heimerdinger had told him about.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Where he was now even madder because as he expected, the sweet milk wasn't even half as good as the one Viktor used to make. This one was way too sweet, he hated it. But he was too stubborn to waste his day off, so he was determined to stay in the cafeteria. But now he had a cup of black coffee and a newspaper in his hand as if those items were magically going to disappear from his bad mood. As if by pure sheer force a smile was going to appear on his face. He didn't even want to taste the deserts now, he just would finish reading and he would go back home. At one point, when he lowered the newspaper to get the cup of coffee, his eyes went straight ahead and he could see in the distance some children playing, they seemed to be having fun with a robot dog toy, they were laughing a lot, enough for him to listen from where he was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A brown-haired boy, a black-haired boy, and… was that Amaranthine? It seems like she made new friends. Cute. He sighed heavily before drinking more coffee, for a moment he wanted to have the same concerns as a child.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And the thing is that the children, especially that little group that had been made, were having a really good time. It was very comforting for Viktor to see that his son was getting so well with those other children, he thought that spending so much time with him was going to be bad for the kid. And really seeing him interact and play so well gave him the extra relief that he needed. He took out a small book that he carried in his bag and read it while he kept an eye on Dacyan. He still had to be careful, but he had to let him do things for himself and give him more freedom. He was really struggling with that, but he was making the effort for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And all was right in the world, until he saw a man, a gigantic man, getting close to the children. He had a kind smile on his face, but he couldn't trust everything and he quickly got where the kids were.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan, Are you okay? -He asked his son first, worried about him-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yeah, I’m okay -He said like it was nothing and pointed at the boy- I made a friend, his name is Luxius. And this is his mother.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh, okay. That made him calm down a little, the man was no stranger, just the mother of the other boy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- And what about me? -Said the blonde girl, a little bit mad-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You too -The child laughed a little- She is Amaranthine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- My dad is in his workshop -The girl said smiling and pointed at a nearby shop, watching the worry on the older man-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that moment, the brown-haired man made himself noted by laughing too. He crouched down to give his son some cookies, which he shared with the other two children, and then they kept playing. Then the young man went to Viktor to strike a conversation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'm sorry if I seemed weird, I went to buy my son some cookies and when I came back, he was already playing -He laughed a little again and extended his hand to the other for a shake- I’m Garen, nice to meet you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- V-Viktor… -He shook his hand and then sighed lightly- No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I can be a bit… hysterical when it comes to my son. We don't come here often, so I have to admit I am nervous.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t see much damage in telling this man his name, he didn’t look like a Piltovian or someone who could know who Jayce was. Now that he thought about it better, he doubted Jayce had friends like this. The man looked too kind to be Jayce's friend. And his accent wasn't from here, so he was a tourist or he moved to Piltover recently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Don't worry about it, all parents are like that with our children -He gave the older man a pat on the back, which made him stumble forward a little. What a strong man- I was the same when I moved to Piltover.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So he was right, the man wasn't from Piltover.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Makes sense, your accent is not from Piltover -He said now calmer, turning to watch the kids- Are you from Demacia?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, I was born there -Luckily, the young man did not get mad and laughed at the question- And you? Because your accent is slightly different from what I normally hear around here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Something like that, I'm from Zaun -He saw the surprised expression of the other and was quick to correct himself- From Entresol, not Promenade.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I was worried for a moment -He said relieved and smiling. He was a normal person after all- I thought for a moment that you were like the people of Bluewind, I’ve seen Zaunites act like that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Believe, there is nothing I hate more than people like that -And oh boy, he definitely did- </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Can we sit down and continue talking? Luxius had me running errands all day –he said pointing to the bench where he had been sitting earlier-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Sure, fine by me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gladly agreed and they both went to sit down again, still talking and sharing stories. An act that was too refreshing for the black-haired man. He had always scoffed at Jayce's zero ability to make friends, but he wasn't that much different. And maybe spending so much time in his lab wasn't such a good idea. But now having someone to talk to and have things in common was certainly very refreshing. It had been a long time since he hadn't talked to someone like that. It was good to be able to discuss stuff about kids with someone who went through a similar situation and also had children. Maybe they could become friends.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kids at least already were.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dacyan was delighted with how that day had turned out, he never expected that Piltover would be this fun. He still adored Zaun, with all the strange and quirky landscapes of it, but he was also delighted with Piltover. He had been able to see so many things and even got to know more children, it was great. The only thing he needed to make the day perfect would have been to have his father there. It would have been… cute, he hoped to meet him one day. But for the moment, this day was going great and he couldn't complain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But of course, something had to go wrong.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was having so much fun playing with Luxius and Amaranthine, and he completely forgot about the warnings of his mother. That he could not run or the supports on his legs would break. And so, as they were playing, running around a bit around the park (Even if they could not go very far or their parents would scold them), he fell. At the start, he thought nothing of it, but as he tried to get up, he noticed that a piece had broken down and got out of place. His mother was going to kill him. At least he didn't watch him fall and he was able to walk to a nearby bench, where hopefully his mother wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Soon the other kids noticed he was not following them and ran to see what happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Are you okay? -Asked the boy, worried about his new friend- Should I call your mother?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- No! -He hurried to say- If mom finds out I hurt myself, he won't let me go back to Piltover. I don't know what to do…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But just at that moment, the blond girl knew what to do. The answer coming in the form of a bitter and angry Piltovian, walking out of a nearby cafeteria. He had enough of being in there, he tasted enough to tell Heimer how wrong he was and now he would go to his house. To possibly, keep being bitter and angry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I do! Don't move, I'll come back quickly!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl went running as fast as she could before she lost the defender among the crowd, and quickly attached herself to his leg.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Jayce, Jayce! I need your help!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Wha- The older one almost unleashed a kick, but he realized it was Amaranthine on time. That girl appeared in the worst moments- Kid, it's not a good time. Let go of me, I need to go.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Please Jayce! -Pleaded the girl, without separating herself from the man- Mi friend fell and he damaged his leg. His mother won't let him come back to Piltover if he sees that he is injured.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Good, now he will learn not to be such a fool -In the end, he got tired and pushed the girl away, but it looked like she had claws- Amaranthine, I'm not in the mood for this. I don't have time to go around fixing people's lives.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You told me you could fix everything -Said the girl with a serious expression- Then fix my friend's leg. Please, I will give you whatever you want.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You don't have anything that I could want. -The older man sighed and finally managed to separate her from his leg- If I go, will you let me go home in peace?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Of course! -The girl said smiling, then took the hand of the elder and started walking-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They didn’t take long and arrived where the other kids were. Dacyan was still holding his leg and Luxius was kind of keeping guard so the mother of the black-haired kid didn't come, he was lucky because his own mother was keeping him entertained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both boys were surprised to see the man that came with the girl, one because he heard rumors about the Defender of Tommow and the other one because of a whole different reason. The black-haired boy was silent, he didn’t know how to react. That was… he had to be. He looked the same as the man in his photo, just older and more tired. Now his mother was indeed going to kill him. He was the one who was going to help him?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Alright, what is the problem? -He said tiredly as he arrived with the girl-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Something broke in his legs -Answered the brown-haired boy-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The older man crouched down to see the problem and took the child's leg in his hands. Although a look of… anger appeared on his face when he saw his leg.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- This young and you already have augmentations? What the hell were your parents thinking? -He took a small keychain from his pocket, that was a multi-tool and started working on the broken piece-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Those are not augmentations! Mom does not allow it, he says that I have to be older to decide that ... -He got angry a little, he would not allow anyone to speak ill of his mother- They are only supporting, my legs are weak and I do not walk well ... But soon I will be able to leave them! Mom says that I will be able to walk soon if I continue with the exercises.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I didn't ask you to tell me your life -He did not take his eyes off the mechanism, finishing fixing the pieces- Who did this?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- My mom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Okay -He put his tool away and stood up. Tell him a nut came loose and I had to replace a screw. It should be fine, but if she made the mechanisms, let her check them too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Him, not her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I don't care -He sighed, he wanted to go already- Just tell him to check your leg support.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Wow, you just as rude and arrogant as Mom said –said the boy, but with a huge smile on his face- Thank you very much, Mr. Jayce. Goodbye Amaranthine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, the boy went to his mother, he must have been very worried and did not want to make him feel bad. He had more reasons now to want to go back to Piltover, aside from his friends and did not want to make his mother mad. Maybe they could come back for progress day, he was excited about all the possibilities.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I should go too, I don't want my mother to scold me -The brunette gave a little bow- Goodbye sir. Goodbye Amaranthine, see you tomorrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Bye Luxius! –The girl waved goodbye when she suddenly remembered something and shouted to her friend- Say goodbye to Dacyan for me!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The older brunette was already a bit on his way home when he heard the girl screaming that name. That made him stop, he had been thinking of that name and had held that robot in his hands just that morning. He went back to where the girl was before she was able to leave.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Kid, How did you call that boy?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Luxius?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- No -He said a bit frustrated- The black-haired one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh, Dacyan -She moved her head to the side in confusion- Why? What about it?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Who was with him? How looked his mother?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl went from being confused to making a face of mistrust and some disappointment. First, the boy who smiled at his attitude and now Amaranthine did this. What was happening to the children lately?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'm not going to tell you! -The girl started walking towards his father's shop- You are weird and lonely Jayce.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Amaranthine! I need to know, just tell me and I will leave you be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Nope! Also, didn't you say that I had nothing you could want? -Answered the girl with an amused smile, hurrying to get to the shop-</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By gods, the kids were going to drive him crazy. He was better off in his lab. Well, the last option he had was to follow the direction the children had gone to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he quickly went where he had seen them run to, but when he got to he only saw the brown boy and an older man with him, looking at him strangely. Great, they were already gone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now he had no choice but to go home, now with the mysterious identity of that kid going around in the inside of his head. When going through the plaza, he stopped to watch Zindelo's Incognium and to think for a little bit. Was it the Dacyan that he was thinking about? Was that kid related to Viktor? Did he really want the answer to that? Depending on the answer ... no. He was selfish and didn’t want to think that one of those answers could be true.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He needed to find out the answer, but couldn’t do much for now. He would see later what information he could get from Amaranthine. He sighed heavily and finally got ready to go home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But as he turned, he saw the answer to all his actual problems.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That black-haired boy, Dacyan, was walking in the distance with someone. His mother, he supposed. He did not hesitate to follow them, but they were already too very far. They were walking on their way to Zaun, or so he believed. He came to a complete stop when he managed to recognize that jacket. It was possible that he was very tired, but he could swear that that jacket was his, he thought he had lost it years ago. But he could not see the face of the adult and they had already moved far away, he lost sight of them</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now he really, really turned to make his way back home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He needed to check a few photo albums. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>IMPORTANT TO ADD: The nickname Viktor used instead of his name with Ezreal, is not mine. It's a nickname used in the fanfic "What happens twice, happens thrice" by "Jock_Casual".</p><p>If there's any problem with it, I will remove it. Is that, I was re-reading that fic (I love it so much) when I was writing this chapter, and the nickname stuck in my mind. But if there's any problem, I will gladly remove it.</p><p>So, I had a nice day uwu<br/>I slept a lot, did some gardening, and won some tokens from the lunar beast event uwu &lt;3</p><p>I want to make a small poll again (?(<br/>As I said, Garen being in Piltover does have an explanation and I was thinking of making a one-shot to explain it. I could make a series and link all of the fics so it's easier to read and find. So if you have any opinion about this, I would like to read it &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Progress day where memories come to life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The song Jayce is playing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1C9kpMV2e8</p><p>Please enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Viktor knew very well that coming to Piltover had been a bad idea, nothing good could come out of going to the city that much. He knew that sooner or later he was going to find himself in a situation like the present one. In a too public cafe, with a blonde talking too much and him trying to hide in Jayce's oversized jacket. In those moments he was indeed grateful for bringing it, it gave him comfort and he could hide if he crouched a little. At least his son was having a good time and he was just eating his slice of cake without a care in the world. From time to time he passed small pieces of fruit to the blonde's baby, who was in a chair next to him. Well, he had to admit that that was adorable, it made him want to smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was another problem he had, his emotions were all over the place and he was having a hard time staying calm and collected. Normally it was as simple as adding his augmentations and he would be in his normal state, where he had everything under control and his mood did not affect him at all. He could do everything logically and nothing would go wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he had a slight problem… his son. His son didn't like him making certain modifications to his body, he really hated them and he let him know. The child could see the inside of his arm without flinching at all, he even asked what he did in the procedure, but he did not see him smile for two days and he was already having a panic attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’ve been smiling more… at least a little bit more… so that’s why I hid them” “It’s nice not talking to a wall” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Was the answer his child gave him when he searched all over his laboratory and could not find his augmentations. He couldn’t do more than that, as his son had a particular ability to hide things in places where he never managed to find them. How is it that his son knew his house better than him? He didn’t understand it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh, we have to get together again when Taric comes, you have to meet him –the blond said happily, after giving his daughter a spoonful of flan– He's really nice, he cares a lot about everyone. He is very handsome, but hey, he is already mine –he said laughing and joking–</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Don't worry, but no… I don't think I can. I don't usually leave Zaun, I prefer to stay at home. There's… less noise there -he might look like a kid, but he had asked for the same thing the blonde ordered for his daughter. Milk flan. He enjoyed its simple taste-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Come on, enjoy life a little. You can't stay home all your life. -The blonde ate some of his piece of cake and made an excited face- Well, what if you don't go that far? I could take you on a tour of the university, my uncle works there.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Definitely not.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh, what about progress day? Do you plan on coming?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, that was more acceptable but still not something he wanted to discuss. As he-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Are we coming to progress day?! –Dacyan exclaimed very excitedly, almost dropping the spoon in his hand-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Exactly for that. He didn't want to bring it up to his son because he knew he would beg him to come and he didn't want to have to. Had someone not told Ezreal that he talked too much?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You see! Your son wants to come, now you have to bring him -He said smiling and gave Dacyan a thumbs up- Come on, tell your mom to bring you. I will act as your guide, what do you think?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Mommy please, please! -His son said excitedly, jumping a little on the chair. Even the baby contributed to the moment and she gave a little laugh- Little Gemma agrees!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan, stop -He said firmly- And no, I don’t think that- </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Viktor? Is that you? -The brunette that just appeared in the place said-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Luxius!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The world hated him, he was sure of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't enough with Ezreal, Garen had to show up there. Of all the places in Piltover, he appeared in the same cafeteria they were in. He needed more tea to survive that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And ... Hadn't he seen this scene elsewhere?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Ah, is he a friend of yours? –The blond smiled, but then he was somewhat surprised- Wait, wasn’t Medes your name?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- No, my name is indeed Viktor ... -He said sighing and taking a big sip of the tea- I didn't know who you were when we met so I had to be careful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Is nothing! I fully understand the nickname –He said animatedly and then turned to the brown-haired man- Come, join us! Med-… I mean, Viktor’s friends are my friends too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Thank you, I hope I am not bothering you –the brunette smiled kindly, and together with his children they brought other chairs to the table so they could sit down too- These are my son’s, Daren, the eldest, and Luxius, the youngest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Nice to meet you –Both children said, but one with a more serious tone than the other-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- The pleasure is mine. And she is my little Gemma –The blond said smiling, pointing to the little girl. But then he turned to the older brunette- Are you from here? I can swear I saw you somewhere else</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- It's strange… I swear I've seen you too somewhere, but I can't place where… -Suddenly a serious look was on the Demacian's face- ¿Jarro Lightfeather?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> - I-I don't know who you're talking about -the blonde said, laughing nervously, trying to avoid the question- A-Anyway, you're Viktor's friend, right? Maybe you can help me and convince him to come to the festival they do on Progress Day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You’re not coming? –Said Garen genuinely surprised- Luxius and Daren always have a great time at the festival, surely your son will have a great time too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I don't want to meet… certain people. I am not very well-liked by some higher people here -He said as he was trying to hide his face in his cup of tea-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- And do you think I was going to take you with those boring pants uptown? Never! The fun is in the lower parts -He had a slightly mischievous smile on his face, putting his hands behind his head- The more enjoyable things are done in the lower neighborhoods, but now I am a responsible man and the father of this beautiful girl, so I was thinking of celebrating like I used to do with my uncle as a child. We would go out to eat at a restaurant or have a picnic and then watch the parade. What do you think?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- It seems fun… I like the idea. What do you think Viktor?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- No, I don’t think that- He could see that his son's gaze grew sadder and sadder each second until Garen's eldest son interrupted him-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- If it's the wealthy people of Piltover what you're concerned about, the merchant clans always have a show before the parade. They will not go down to the southern part until evening –said the boy, without taking his eyes off the menu-</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well ... he was right. But what a peculiar child, he seemed very mature for his age. He liked him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I suppose it is in the conditions you say ... it would be fine -He sighed softly and adjusted his scarf- But would you mind having a picnic?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Trust me, nothing bad will happen -He said confident and satisfied- And it's fine for me, it will be a nice activity. Ah, just like my uncle used to do! Too bad Taric is not here, but for next year we have to repeat it with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Wait, did you say Taric? Do you know Taric? -The Demacian said surprised-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, he is my partner and the mother of this beautiful baby –Again he made funny faces to her daughter to make her laugh- Do you know each other?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- We used to train together, I haven't seen him in years. Is he coming to Piltover? –He exclaimed excitedly-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, the other adults entered into a friendly conversation and inadvertently also gave the black-haired man time to calm down and collect his thoughts for a bit. But that didn't happen until he had completely had another cup of tea- Maybe more. Ah, a bad habit that he had not been able to break from his college time, he drank tea when he was nervous and more so if he could not resort to his modifications.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But right now he shouldn't think about him, he needed to think about his son. And the look his son gave him before Garen's son interrupted him, had really hurt him. Did this mean that much to him? If so, he didn't want to take away that opportunity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And if he remembered well, he really enjoyed the Progress Day festivals he used to go to with Jayce. They always ended up buying a lot of sweets and had a stomach ache at the end of the day, but they laughed and enjoyed themselves a lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dacyan had the right to experience something like that, he couldn't deny him that. He wanted to see him have fun with his friends and have a good day. He smiled under his scarf and sighed softly, he never had a choice in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And maybe deep down that would be good for him too, it would be good to relive those memories and maybe pretend for a moment that the Piltovian was by his side, laughing like in the old days. He missed that… he missed him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Coming to Piltover was starting to mess with his head.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>And in another part of Piltover, someone was not looking to make new memories, they were looking for the opposite. He was trying to find old memories.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To be more specific, photographs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But… things haven't been going well for him lately.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hadn't been able to stop thinking about that boy and his goddam jacket, which he hoped was his jacket. He was sure, he had to be, he was never wrong. Well, he had been wrong a very few times. And he was sure that he was not wrong about this! But he had not been able to see that child again or the one he assumed was his mother. For the moment he had to give them a name, he would treat this as if it were a project, and maybe that way he could concentrate better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So we had two study subjects. Subject A, Dacyan, and subject C, V. He didn't want to call him Viktor directly so as not to get his hopes up and then be disappointed later. That's why he never expected anything from people, although it's not like many could impress him anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But all of his evidence pointed to subject C being Viktor. He had returned to the sounding area of that cafeteria and could not see the boy again, which suggested that he was a child of Zaun. And yes, there were many children in Zaun, but if he could confirm that that was his jacket, he could confirm that this man was definitely Viktor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And therefore that child was also his son.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps that was what had kept him busy and awake most of the time, thinking about that question and what if it turned out to be true. What would he do if he managed to conclude what he wanted and expected? What would he have to do after that? Should he even do something? It was very probable that Viktor would try to kill him again if they met, but deep down inside him, he knew they must meet. He knew Viktor wouldn't take the first step, he would have to take it. But he would not go to a fight that he knew he could not win and in those moments, the cards were against him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viktor had been avoiding him for years, and that wasn't going to suddenly change. He always knew that the black-haired man had not died, he was stronger than that, but he practically disappeared from Zaun. The most he had learned from Viktor were rumors of a "machine herald" and a man with an iron face. It had to be him. But back then, he was upset and hurt too, and he didn't bother to trace those rumors. He never thought that he would ever need them. But he had already formulated a plan that he thought would work well. The advantages of being a friend of Piltover's Sheriff. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But again, it returned to the subject of the photographs. He couldn't go to Zaun without knowing what he was going for, that's why he needed that proof so badly to confirm that it was Viktor who had that piece of clothing. But he had already been searching for days in the albums he had found in his house, had gone through them about five times, and could not find anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Sighing, he turned the album page. This was his sixth time doing this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had been looking for a photo where that goddamn jacket appeared for days (at this point he was starting to get tired of not finding it), rechecking each album he had in every free moment that he had. At least if he managed to get something good out of that process, he had been able to be more focused on his work lately, and more importantly, he had managed to get back to playing his cello normally. And he felt that it restored his sanity, there was nothing that made him feel better than the sound of his instrument. Or the sound of Viktor's piano. Possibly the best purchase he had made in his life, it had cost him almost all of his first salary, but it had been worth every single coin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing the photographs so much had reminded him of that, how he and Viktor used to enjoy being together, they had excellent times in their own way. Whether it was working in silence right beside each other or playing a beautiful piano and cello duet. Reading a book before going to bed, with one hand they turned the page and with the other, they joined their hands. They almost had their own language, they understood each other perfectly without saying a word. He was missing that a lot lately. He really wished he could talk to Viktor, he felt it was time to fix everything. But would the black-haired man want to talk to him? He didn't believe he would.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He closed the photo album, sorted some photographs he had taken out, and stretched his arms, he had been at that for a long time and it was time for a little break. And what better rest than playing cello for a little bit, it would surely even help him think better about what he should do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He got up from his office desk and went to a small bench on his left, and next to it, his cello. With a smile and care, he took it out of its case, to later sit on the bench. He took the bow, adjusted the strings, got into position, and began to play, letting himself get carried away by the music.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He began to remember all the moments he lived with Viktor, he remembered how he met him. That Progress day, the best he had experienced so far. Forced to go to the event just like the black-haired man, they got closer because they both looked equally bored and disinterested with all the dancing, clearly preferring to be somewhere else. They began to chat and Viktor dared to contradict him and correct him. At first, he thought he was either very foolish or very brave, but the more he talked to him, the more he realized what a great mind the Zaunite had. The only person who had been able to reach his level, it was incredible, it was an instant connection. They rarely saw things the same way, but they managed to understand and respect each other. He had never felt as comfortable and happy with someone as he felt with Viktor. That black-haired man, who had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen and the biggest heart in all of Piltover and Zaun, brought him immense happiness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were doing so well, they were both advancing in their careers, advancing in their relationship, and ... then the bad things started to come. Or maybe he was the one who started that series of events that only brought them down.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>- Why didn't you say anything? You know perfectly well that I designed every single part of Blitzcrank…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>- Viktor, not now-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>- Answer me! –He shouted angrily, tears coming out of his eyes of the sheer rage he felt- I spent days working on Blitzcrank by your side, days where I hardly ever went out to eat, you saw the blueprints yourself. The blueprints that I made from scratch! And you weren't able to speak in my defense?!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>- Look Viktor –He said frustrated by the situation, wanting to get out of there quickly– Stanwick has a lot of power within the university, it would have been useless. Something bad would have come out regardless, for the both of us.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>- You only care what happens to you, right? -He let out with a bitter laugh- You didn't even try and you let them take away the most important thing in my life!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Those words had hurt him deeply, but the other one was furious, he was not thinking correctly. But his anger and resentment couldn't help but come out in his next words.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span> - Well Viktor, it's over, there's nothing you can do about it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He was hurt, but the look the other gave him hurt even more. A broken and hurt look. The older one hugged his stomach and every second seemed to crumble even more. The tears were flowing more and more. He had managed to hurt the deepest part of the black-haired man.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What had he done?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>- Viktor, no I-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He couldn't finish answering when he felt a blow to his face, strong enough to make him stumble back a bit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>- You are a selfish asshole Jayce -the older man let out with genuine anger- I trusted you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A knock on his office door snapped him out of his memories, suddenly stopping playing too. Maybe it was for the best, he didn't like to remember that day. He got up from his seat and left his instrument resting on a shelf and headed for the door. Upon opening it, he found his Yordle colleague carrying some small books and a small robot that came with him, the robot carrying a tray with a kettle and two small cups.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh, I had to interrupt your music, bad timing of mine  –Said the Yordle laughing slightly- But I brought some tea to share, you'll like it. It is mint and Ionian willow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span>Without waiting for an answer, the yordle and the little robot let themselves into the taller's office. Heimerdinger sat in the visitor chair there and then the robot put the tray on the table. He moved a few papers and began to pour the tea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jayce he… well, he didn't have much to choose from, so he just closed the door and went to sit in his chair, on the other side of the desk. He didn't understand why Heimer had come, but hey, the tea was not going to be bad for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I must say Jayce, you still play wonderfully as ever. Although I must admit that I prefer the more cheerful pieces -the Yordle said smiling while passing him a cup of tea- You and Viktor played some beautiful ones, it was a privilege to be able to hear you both play together.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yeah no, I don't think that will happen again. You will have to settle for me –He said something sarcastic, then took a sip of tea- What brings you here Heimer?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I still have hope to hear you together again boy, do not lose hope –He said with a jovial laugh, ignoring the rude comment- And I figured you could use some tea. And maybe someone to talk to, I've seen you been kinda... busy lately.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That reminded him, he needed to buy more tea for his house. He had been drinking a lot lately, he drank tea every time he thought of Viktor. He couldn't make the famous sweet milk that the black-haired made, so tea was the closest replacement he had of that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Well, yes, I'm not going to deny it –He said sighing, to drink from his cup again- I've been looking for a photograph, I need to identify something, but I have already searched all the albums I had and there is no trace of what I am looking for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- But you have a lot of pictures here. Oh, this is very good -The Yordle put his cup on the table to take some of the photographs that the other had on his desk- I love this one, Viktor finished that book in a day if I'm not mistaken. Oh, this was at a Christmas party. You spent the whole night talking about his projects in a corner, what memories! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- It was a great Christmas party, I had an incredible time –He said with a soft smile- I have not found what I am looking for, but seeing these photographs brings back many memories and I was thinking of framing some of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Is what you're looking for that important?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- It is, and a lot. It could change my life completely if I'm correct.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- It does sound like a serious matter -The Yordle took one of the books he was carrying and took a photograph from there. Holding it up just so the other man could see it- Is this jacket that important?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- What-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tallest one got paralyzed with those words, but quickly reacted and turned to see the photograph. There he was. His goddamn jacket. And there was also Viktor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the photograph they were both sleeping, leaning against each other, but the black-haired man had that jacket on top of him. He supposed it had been to shelter him from the cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He immediately reached to take the photograph, but the Yordle was faster and moved it out of his reach. He put it back in the books he brought and took out another one, this time it was from an old teacher and Heimer himself, but in the background, there were him and Viktor, and Jayce had that jacket on. The Yordle did give him this photograph so he could see it better.. It was his jacket, it was his fucking jacket! He knew he was not wrong, he had bought that when he was younger and Viktor must have taken it with him when he returned to Zaun.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I have a little hobby with photography when I have free time I like to go around and take some photos. And they also make a very nice keepsake -Heimer took his cup of tea again- I've seen that lately you've been reviewing several albums and I thought it would be a good idea to bring some of mine. Maybe they can help you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- But how… How did you know I was looking for this specific jacket? -He was still surprised, looking at the photograph, at last, he began to have answers-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh Jayce, I can read the room well.  I'm not stupid -Said the shortest laughing- But I must admit that I saw you one afternoon near the elevators, looking for something. Or someone. And I've also seen Viktor recently in Piltover. I just connected the dots.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You saw what? -Now he was really surprised, he almost dropped the photograph- Where did you see him? Do you know where he lives? Tell me where he is!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- No -He said calmly while taking another sip of his tea-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jayce let out a slight grunt of desperation, bringing a hand to his head. This whole situation was going to cause him health problems.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Then why did you bring the photographs? -He sighed heavily, massaging his temple- Do you want to torture me?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Perhaps, you have it quite deserved. Hoho! I'm kidding Jayce –said the Yordle laughing, but his tone of voice told him that deep down he wasn't kidding- Before I give you anything… I want to make sure you're serious about this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- What do you mean?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Jayce, don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. You know very well what I mean. -The older one sighed- There is someone else involved in all this, whatever you plan to do, and knowing your story and Viktor's… well, I'm right to be worried.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Heimerdinger sighed and put his cup back on the desk, then put his hands on his lap. The brunette felt as if he was about to be scolded by his parents, and it was not a pretty situation. Especially since he had always had trouble respecting authority figures, but he usually was right and they were not. But Heimer was a good person and he couldn't deny his enormous intellect, if he was so serious about this, it was for good reason. He had to behave, not just because the Yordle had information that would help him. He… he needed to talk about all this with someone too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I don't know Cecil, I don't know what I'm planning to do -He was feeling a bit desperate with the whole situation and didn't know if he should continue- The day you told me to go to the cafeteria near the Incognium, I ran into Amaranthine. She asked me to fix a leg brace for one of her friends, I did and when she was leaving Amy she shouted the boy's name. I ran to look for them, but couldn't reach them and all I could see was the damn jacket. Since then I have not been able to get that boy out of my head, nor have I been able to stop thinking about Viktor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- So that's why you are looking for a photograph with that jacket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I was sure it was my jacket, it had to be! –He said somewhat excitedly, tapping the table lightly- That man had to be Viktor and that boy… I think it could be my son.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His voice broke with those last words and his hands returned to his head, holding it with some desperation. He was afraid to say those words out loud, afraid that if he said it out loud he would start to believe it and then they would not turn out to be true. After everything he had done to Viktor, he had every right to move on with his life, he had it more than deserved. But he was selfish, and it hurt him enormously just to think that Viktor had a family with someone else. And he felt shit for thinking that, he knew he had no right to feel that way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Do you think it is your son?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I want him to be… But after what I've been through with Viktor, I don't know if it is.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- And are you doing this just for the kid?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- No, I want to see Viktor again. I'm tired, I'd like to fix things a bit, and… I know it's a lot to ask, but I'd like to see him smile again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Jayce, are you prepared to face the consequences of whatever you plan to do?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I guess Viktor is going to want to punch me, he has every right to do it-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- No Jayce, real consequences. -The older one sighed slightly, going to take his cup again.- You are already an adult and this is not such a simple matter. It's no longer about a fight between you two, it's no longer just about you or just about Viktor. -The Yordle looked at him seriously behind his cup-There is a child involved who depends completely on Viktor, who will also depend on you if you decide to get involved. And it's not something you can get rid of later.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I know, of course, I know –He said somewhat frustrated and annoyed with what those words wanted to imply- I am determined with this. And I know it's hard to believe because all kids hate me, but I'm willing to fight for it. I'm willing to fight for Viktor and Dacyan. I don't want them to hate me… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh, is his name Dacyan?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, that was the name Amy told me. And the name that is engraved on the little robot that I found in the ruins of Viktor's laboratory. Just for that, I feel like I owe it to them to try.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- That is the attitude I wanted to see –the Yordle was suddenly very happy, drinking what was left of the tea- Your dedication to Viktor has always been huge, I don't know what I was expecting. But I wanted to make sure.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- What? Are you going to tell me where they live?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh no, that would be a huge invasion of his privacy –he said while looking in one of the albums he brought with him-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- But you do know where they live?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh sure, I just ran into Viktor last week.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- And why don't you just tell me ?!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Because I don't want to earn Viktor's anger -He said with a smile and handed some photographs to the other- But I'm going to give you this, you can keep them. I'm sure this will help you. Or at least this will give you some stories to tell to your son later.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The photos were a variety of events that he and Viktor had been through, with a few other people included in the photos. Events, speeches at the university, when they were in classes, one of them arguing in the library. He also gave him the photograph where they were both asleep. He couldn't help but smile, those were really beautiful moments that he spent with Viktor. He was idly looking at the photographs until a little later what Heimer told him caught up to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Wait, are you serious? He is my son? -He said surprised and hopeful-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Of course, it is. Didn't you see him? He is a mini-you, but paler -He laughed slightly- Well, I already accomplished what I came to do and I'm sure that you now have to think about how to continue, so I better get going.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The yordle began to collect his things and gave the tray with the kettle to the little robot, but before leaving he returned and gave the brunette one last photograph.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I almost forgot this last one. Now I have to leave, but good luck Jayce. I hope I can see you three together sometime.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At last, the older one got out without saying more and that was when the brunette paid real attention to the last photograph he had given him. It looked like one of the streets in the lower parts of Zaun, there were several people in the photograph, but what stood out the most was a man and a boy who seemed to be walking towards the cameraman. A man in a metal mask and his wild black hair sticking out the top. And the boy with hair just as unruly as the man, with a beautiful smile, holding the man's left hand. Viktor and Dacyan. In those moments there was nothing that seemed more beautiful than that photograph to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was going to do this right, he couldn’t accept a bad result. He wouldn't let anything bad happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took all the photographs and put them in a small compartment in his cello case, and later put the instrument away as well. He needed to get to his house soon and make some arrangements to the place. The other albums could stay in his office, for now, he already got what he needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He picked up his cello, picked up his hammer, and quickly headed home, it didn't matter how many people on the road wanted to say hi to him. He had more important things to do.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was already tired of this absurd game that he and Viktor had created, he was going to put an end to this. Whether Viktor liked it or not, it didn't matter, they must talk. Well, Viktor wasn't going to want to, but he was ready for that. He was going to take the first step and fix all the mistakes that he had made. For Viktor and his son, he would do things right this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viktor didn't know how he got into certain situations, again. The funny thing is that lately, it seemed that they happened more and more often. And they were things he never thought he would be in, things he had sworn never to do again. Like going back to Progress day, he vowed that he would never attend again any event that day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there he was, in a park in the middle of Piltover, with the Progress Day parties in full swing. Accompanied by the Demacian brunette and the blond piltovian explorer, and of course, the children of each one. And he was not having a good time, but… ah, the things parents did for their children.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he had avoided coming that day, but the blond was way too insistent the day they had met in the restaurant, and he insisted that everyone should come and celebrate together. And Garen's pressure didn't help either. At least he had been able to keep them from meeting in a restaurant, all these trips to Piltover weren't cheap and he wanted to save money to buy a good violin for his son, so he was trying to work and save all the money he could. So he was relieved that he had managed to convince them to meet in a park.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And, for all the hustle and bustle of that day, they were in a very quiet and calm area. They were all sitting on a large blanket and would move later to watch the parade, but for now, they were all very relaxed. Luxius and Dacyan were playing with a puzzle, Daren was reading a book, and little Gemma was playing with a stuffed animal at her father's feet. The adults spoke calmly, he chimed from time to time to the conversation, but overall it was a very entertaining environment. Something inside him told him it wasn't going to last, but he blamed it on his paranoid mind. Nothing bad would happen, right?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>A surprisingly relaxed atmosphere for some, quite busy for others.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All of Piltover's apprenta and merchant clans were preparing for their great technology show on Progress Day, where they would demonstrate their power and the clans would recruit some young talents. Sure, these plans included Jayce, who was preparing his presentation with the Giopara clan, but he couldn't care less. He would comply with the requirements, but as soon as he finished his presentation, he would run off to the south of Piltover.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Why? Because he needed to find Ezreal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, he was not interested in the blond, he was interested in what the blond had said a few days ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew it was wrong, but some documents addressed to Lymere had mistakenly arrived at his office and when he went to return them, he overheard a conversation the man was having with his nephew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he had always said that Ezreal talked too much and didn't know when to shut up, but now he was grateful that he hadn't shut up this time. And yes, he knew that he overheard a private conversation, but what he said were priceless words.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, don't worry uncle, I already made plans for progress day. Garen, Viktor, and I are meeting for a bite to eat before the show.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>¿Viktor?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No no, they also have children. It's going to be like a parents' club meeting, you don't have anything to be worried about. Gemma will be fine "</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh god, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>the</span>
  </em>
  <span> Viktor I was looking for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After that, he knocked on the door and entered smiling to leave the papers to the older one, and quickly left before Lymere began to suspect something. That was just what he was looking for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That's why he was so desperate to finish all his duties quickly because he had to run off to find the blonde. Since, if Ezreal was there, Viktor would be there too. And to think that he was about to find some way to convince Caitlyn to let him patrol Zaun with her, but everything was getting easier for him. Excellent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the clan's servants caught his attention and brought him out of his thoughts, it was time to start. Perfect, the sooner this started, the sooner he could go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He put a bright smile on his face and went to the stage, waving to the crowd. Today things were going to change.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Where did you get this? It's delicious! –The blond said when he tasted some of the sweet milk that the black-haired man had brought-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- It is sweet milk, I made it at home -He said calmly, but on the inside, he was glad that they were liking so much the drink he had brought- Dacyan loves it and insisted that I bring some for you to try.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Well, it's really good and your sandwiches are delicious too Garen –He said when taking another one of the sandwiches with some fruit- Wow, I wish I could be as skilled in the kitchen as you are.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- But they're just sandwiches ... it's not a big deal -the brunette said laughing slightly, taking one of the cookies that the blonde had bought-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- But I burn water, believe me –he laughed too and drank some sweet milk to give to his daughter- How do you two manage to be so clever?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Soldier's wit? -The brunette said joking a bit-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Having children helps a lot too –The black-haired man said seriously, taking a sip from his cup- You are just starting, soon you will get used to everything a father does.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I hope so, I don't want to fail my little girl or Taric -he said smiling when he saw how the little girl crawled to get on his legs- When we are together I think I depend a lot on him, but I want to show him that I am responsible too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I know Taric, I sure he trusts you -the brunette smiled and patted the blonde on the shoulder- Speaking of Taric, is he coming to Piltover soon? I haven't seen him in a long time and I'd like to say hello.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yeah, he's coming in a few days, but I'm waiting for a letter to confirm it. -Then he sighed dramatically and hugged her daughter, in response she just laughed happily- We already miss mom a lot, don't we my little gem? –He said in a childish voice when speaking to her daughter-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had to admit, that was a very adorable scene, it made him smile under his scarf. It was very nice to see that the girl had parents who loved her so much. He turned to see his son, who was still playing with a big smile on his face. He wondered what his son would think of Jayce and if he one day would call the Piltovian Dad. He sighed slightly and finished his drink, he would do him no good to think of fictional scenarios. He would only get upset and he didn't want to ruin his son's day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> - Oh, the parade is about to start! –The blond said happily, seeing all the people begin to move- Shall we pack up the things now? I don't wanna miss a thing!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And yes, the people and participants of the festival were already beginning to mobilize and get into their positions. The parade would start in the lower parts of Piltover and would culminate with a great show in the higher parts of Piltover, after the show of the clans. And well, they didn't want to be left without a good place to watch the parade, so they started to collect everything and go to a place with a better view. The black-haired man remembered once when he had come with Jayce and he insisted on taking him to the place with “the best view of the festival”, he couldn't help but smile at that. It had been a nice experience after all. And as nervous or stressed as he might be, he was glad that Dacyan could experience all of this, even once in his life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And the people in the upper parts of Piltover were also getting ready to receive the parade, although in much more comfortable conditions. The clan shows had already ended and the last young ones were finishing their presentations, eager to attract the attention of a clan. But Jayce felt like he couldn't get out of there any faster. He gave a generic excuse and his employers, knowing well what he was like, let him go without much trouble. He was a very good inventor, but he had… touchy personality, it was better not to meddle in his business. So they didn't take long to say goodbye when the brunette was already leaving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was a man on a mission and he planned to fulfill it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> On the way, he was stopped by some people wanting to greet the defender of tomorrow, but he tried to greet them and leave as fast as he could. He didn't have time for that. He began to worry when he saw that the festival progressed more and more, it must be ending already in the lower parts and he still did not see Ezreal. That meant two things, the good news was that Ezreal couldn't be in many more places, but the bad news was that if the festival was already ending, they would soon be heading home. And he couldn't miss the chance to see Viktor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that moment he did not care about anything and started running, he needed to get there fast. He ran dodging the crowd no matter what it looked like, looking for a specific head of blonde hair or a specific head of black hair. He needed to see his son and Viktor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran, stopped for a few seconds to check, and kept on like that, desperately searching the crowd for Ezreal. He was about to continue when he felt a small hit to his legs and then heard someone fall. He looked down and by all the Hextech crystals, that was the best hit he had ever received in his life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan ... oh my god, it is you kind! –He said smiling happily, almost without believing it and he bent down to hug the boy- It's you, you don't know how much I've been looking for you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The little boy was somewhat confused, but when he realized who he was, he smiled very happily and somewhat shy and fearful, he also hugged his father.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He had separated from the group to see inside a shop window, he knew he had asked a lot with all the times his mother had taken him to Piltover and he wanted to buy him something nice to thank him. But when he turned around and tried to go back before his mom got upset, he didn't see where he was going and ran into ... his dad. He did not know what he was doing there, but he was very happy that he was there and even more because he seemed to know who he was. And how many times he had wanted to see him again after he had fixed his leg on the first trip, he wanted to see his father again and make sure he liked him. It seems that it was not necessary, Jayce already liked him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Do you really know who I am? -He asked shyly, fearing rejection by the older-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Of course, I know, you are my son. You really look a lot like me –he said incredulously, but with a huge smile. He detached himself from the boy and did and brushed some hair from his face. He had his eye color, but they were just as beautiful as Viktor's- I'm really sorry, that day I tried to reach you and I couldn't manage to do it. And the days after I returned to the surrounding area of the cafeteria, but I never found you or Viktor around the place. I'm sorry for taking so long.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> And they both knew he wasn't just apologizing for taking so long to find them from the day he saw him. He apologized for taking so long to come into his life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- It's okay, you're here now and we can fix this –the boy said very happily, hugging his… father again. He felt weird, but good at the same time to be able to finally say that-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, I will fix this, I promise you. I… -he couldn't finish his sentence, he was very excited and just took the child in his arms and held him high up in the air- I can't believe you're real… I don't deserve someone like you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Put me down! –The child said while laughing, swinging his legs and enjoying the gesture-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- No way, it took me a long time to find you and I am not going to let you go –said the brunette proudly and only moved the boy so that he was sitting on his shoulders- Let's get to Viktor, I don't think he is very happy that you are away from him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh, right! I don't want him to scold me -He said happily, but then he got a little worried- I don't think mom will be very happy to see you…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I know, I know… I would be very surprised if he was indeed happy, but I'm prepared for anything. Whatever Viktor wants to say or do to me, I deserve it. But I'm not leaving, enough running is enough and I plan to stay in both of your lives.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And just in time, because they quickly saw how Ezreal came running, desperately looking for Dacyan. But he sighed in relief when he found him on the shoulders of the Defender. Wait, what?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh kid, you don't know how glad I am to find you. But what the hell are you doing with Jayce? Do you know him? Did he do something bad to you? - He asked quickly, although then he shook his head and started walking from where he had come from- Forget it, I’ll ask later. Garen is entertaining your mom, but I don't want him to have a panic attack if he doesn't see you. So walk fast Jayce.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He did not have to say more and the brunette followed him at a fast pace so that he could quickly get to where the group was. He had been right, if he found Ezreal, he would find Viktor. He felt nervous but suddenly excited. It had been so much time since he saw the raven and he wanted to see him again. He didn't care about the punches that he would very possibly get.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> And Viktor, he was starting to worry. The festival had already crossed from where they were and they had stayed for a while to chat, but he did not know when Dacyan was no longer at his side. Garen quickly began to reassure him, that he was only buying ice cream with the blonde, that nothing bad was going to happen. But on the inside praying that the blond did get back quickly to them with the boy. He had a feeling that Viktor would kill them both if something happened to his son, after all, he and Ezreal had insisted that he came to the festival.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But all the brunette's reassuring words didn't do much and he kept looking all over the place, searching for some sign of his son. But he tried not to get too anxious, he didn't want to make a scene. Besides, his son was with Ezreal, it couldn't be that bad. Or was it?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> Oh, it was even worse than bad.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In one of those moments when turned to look for his son, he found a scene... that honestly, he had imagined many times in his mind. But he never thought it would be like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ezreal came with a relieved smile, and behind him was his son… on Jayce's shoulders. It seemed like a scene from a storybook, the great hero of Piltover in all his glory and happily with his son in his arms. It even seemed that the sun was shining behind them</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His world froze when his gaze met the defenders. Those blue eyes, just as beautiful as the clear sky of Piltover. Those eyes that he loved so much, but he thought he would never see them again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The closer they got, the more his legs felt weak, less air he felt was reaching him. His hands were unresponsive, even the mechanical one, and his legs were even more unresponsive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> He wasn't ready for this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He saw the worried gaze of his son and…</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything went black.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finally, I could publish the chapter, I'm relieved it's done now :"D</p><p>Jayce, Viktor, and Dacyan finally meet and more "heavy" things are planned for the next chapter! So sorry for that in advance ;w; &lt;3</p><p>And another thing, translating this is getting kinda tiring for me, so I think the translation is going to come a bit later than the one in Spanish. I will try to do it quickly but I will take more breaks between writing and translating it, right now it's wearing me out a little, and I don't want to lose enthusiasm for this.</p><p>And think this is everything, for now, I really hope you enjoy the chapter and please let me know what you think &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Iris</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Those beautiful amber eyes, more beautiful than any sunset, he never thought about how much he had missed them until he saw them again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those eyes, which always kept everything that his owner was feeling and thinking inside them, told him so much with just one look.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He saw so much fear in them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> He knew that when they would meet again, Viktor's reaction was not going to be good. He had expected anger, resentment, annoyance ... he had expected him to yell at him, for him to punch him, he had even expected him to call the police or something, but he had never expected him to just.... pass out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He exchanged a glance with him and the next thing that happened was that the black-haired man fainted and began to fall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luckily the man next to him reacted quickly and caught him before he fell to the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Put me down! Put me down, I need to get down! –His son began to scream when he saw that his mother did not respond and was not waking up-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He quickly did that and carefully placed him on the ground, where the boy quickly went to his mother's side. Whom they were laying on the ground, the man who had held him still stood next to him and was checking what the state of the man was. He made sure he was breathing and then lifted his feet slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- It’s okay, he's not hurt. He did not suffer any wound and is breathing normally –said the brunette relieved, still holding the herald's feet up- But it would be good if he could smell something strong… Daren, can you quickly run home to get some alcohol?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Sure mom, I'll be back-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- No no, it is not necessary –Jayce said hurriedly, starting to search through his jacket- I think I have something that will do, just give me 3 seconds.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He began to quickly search his pockets for a small vial with some crystals in it, which he knew he still had. When they were in college, Viktor unfortunately, fainted often enough that he had started carrying around a small bottle of alcohol or smelling salts. It had become a really important part of his routine, enough that even now it was one of the things he always carried with him, just as he carried the keys to his house. He knew that in one of his pockets he must still have that small bottle, sometimes he would just leave it in his jacket and forget to take it out. But he definitely cursed himself a little for having a jacket with so many pockets, maybe he should use a simpler one. But that was his favorite one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But in the end, he did not know which entity smiled at him and he found the blessed vial in one of the pockets. He thanked his past self very much for insisting on always carrying that vial with him. He immediately gave it to the brunette and caught the attention of his son, pulling him back a bit. He immediately protested and tried to stay with his mother, but quickly knelt to calm him down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Mom will be fine, don't worry. But you have to give him space to breathe –he said calmly, hugging his son after- Viktor is the strongest person I know, he would not let himself be defeated by this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I-I don't want anything to happen to him ... -the child said sobbing, reciprocating his father's hug-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- And nothing will happen to him, I promise you. She - she began to gently caress her son's back, still trying to calm her down- Now come on, I don't think mom will like to see you crying. Come on, breathe with me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He separated a little from his son and began to breathe slowly so that the kid could keep up with his rhythm. Inhale. Exhale. He kept a slow pace and took deep breaths so he could calm down his son so that he could see that everything was going to be okay. It wasn't the first time he'd dealt with a panic attack. Again, he, unfortunately, had experience with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he knew that his methods worked and they did, because the black-haired boy did begin to calm down, almost completely stopped crying, and was no longer breathing so fast.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- I-Is mom really going to be o-okay?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Of course, he is, he will be up and going in no time.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And it didn't take long for Viktor to be okay again. Well, he regained consciousness and opened his eyes. The brunette helped him sit up slowly, without making sudden movements so as not to cause him more damage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viktor still felt very confused and dizzy, but with a strange feeling of… that this had happened to him before. What happened in the first place?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Viktor, are you feeling okay? You gave us quite a scare when you fainted –said the brunette, relieved and smiling-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh yeah, he was in Piltover. What had he been doing? It was Progress Day, right? Yes, he had brought his son to see the parade after much insistence from Ezreal. They were all there, the blonde and his daughter,  Garen, and his two children ... Where was Dacyan again? That worried him until he finally saw him. He was there, also smiling in relief, holding Jayce's hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ah. He remembered why he had passed out.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Fear began to fill him again, but at least he was more in control of the situation this time and had to think correctly about what to do. He turned to see Jayce and another strange feeling came back to him, he missed him ... He was still the same, slightly older, but he was the same Jayce that he remembered. He wanted to do a lot of things at the same time, but then he also remembered why he had moved away from Jayce in the first place and was finally able to react.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He quickly grabbed his bag and pulled his mask out of there. He still remembered what he had said to himself the first day that he had brought his son to Piltover. If something bad happened, he would put on his mask and run away. Well, something bad had happened and it was time to run back home. He put on his mask as fast as he could, adjusting it tightly so it wouldn't fall off, and stood up. He staggered a bit but regained his balance as fast as he could and immediately went to where his son was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His son, who once he saw that his mother had taken out the mask, knew that nothing good was going to happen. In one swift movement, his mother took him in his arms and ran in Zaun's direction, as fast as he could, considering that the dizziness still wasn't over. But he had to get out of there at all costs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viktor could hear slight screams in the background, calling for him to stop, but his mind was focused on getting home. He didn't want to be there, he had made a mistake in going in the first place. He wanted to be as far away from Jayce as possible, he didn't want to see his face, he didn't want to hear his voice, he wanted him away from him and his son. He didn't care what mess he was leaving behind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And what a mess he left behind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Jayce, what the hell did you do to him?! –Exclaimed the blond, pointing to where the black-haired man had gone-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, I'm wondering that too… Do you know each other? –Said the brunette covering the ears of his eldest son. And him in time, was covering the ears of his younger brother-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I ... -He sighed heavily, putting a hand on the back of his neck- He was my partner, I am Dacyan's father. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Ooohhhh… that's why the boy was so happy when I found you both –He said blond with a little snap of his fingers- But then why did Viktor ran away like that?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Did your uncle ever tell you about the Stanwick and Blitzcrank incident?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Sure, it was the talk of the entire university for a while. But everyone already knows that Stanwick is a fraud and... Oh no... -Suddenly he understood the matter- Don't tell me that is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> Viktor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- It is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> Viktor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Oh, okay… I understand his reaction now –He said whistling slightly, looking in the direction of Zaun-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Well, I think that this is no longer something that we should be participating in, so I am going to head home now –said the brown-haired man, letting go of his children and asking them some help to carry all of their things-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although before leaving, the Demacian approached the brunette Piltovian and offered him his hand as a greeting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- But before I leave, I have not introduced myself. My name is Garen –he said with a somewhat forced smile, and then squeezed the other's hand with a little bit of force- Viktor has told me about you. I hope you make the right decisions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once the greeting was over, he took some of the things that his eldest son was carrying, and finally, the three of them left. Leaving the blonde slightly confused, but saying goodbye as well and the brunette with a slightly sore hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- If Garen is that way, I don't want to imagine the father of those children –he said, laughing slightly, then turning to face Jayce- And what are you planning to do? Are you going to search for them in Zaun?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes and no -He said, shaking off his hand a little- If I go right now, Viktor may burn my face with the death ray from his third arm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Death ray?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Also, I have no idea where they live and I wouldn't want to draw too much attention by searching all over Zaun like a weird man. I'm going to have to talk with Caitlyn after all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Third arm?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- So, I have to go. Caitlyn gets mad really quickly and I really need this favor. -He patted the blonde on the back- Say hello to your uncle for me when you see him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so the brunette left quickly, returning to the north of Piltover, heading for Bluewind. He needed to buy some sweets, and whatever it takes to be on the good side of Piltover's sheriff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And all this left the blonde very confused, who had simply remained standing in the same place. Her daughter was still unaware of anything and she was happily moving her hands and her feet, laughing, cheerful as always.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Gemma, why can't people be normal in this city? -The little girl gave a big laugh and kicked the air a little- I miss Taric.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And things in Zaun weren't much better.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viktor didn't stop until they got home, praying that Jayce hadn't followed them, he hoped he at least had that decency. Dacyan did not protest, did not speak the whole way, and simply held onto his mother and watched as they left Piltover behind. He was scared, he had never seen his mother like this and he was afraid of what was going to happen when they got home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And what happened… he couldn't say if it was good or bad.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viktor didn't release him until they were inside the house and made sure the door was locked, secured with all the possible locks. He activated the golems at the entrance and then made it to his small living room. It was there that he released him and the older one went to sit in a nearby chair, putting his hands on top of his legs, intertwining his fingers. This might not mean much to people, but Dacyan knew his mother well enough to know that sitting there in that chair, he was… tired, his hands were shaking and he was trying not to break down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Mom ... why haven't you removed your mask?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan… Have you met Jayce before today?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I-I… I don't think it-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Answer what I am asking you. -He asked firmly, squeezing his hands-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I-I did saw him before…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- When and how many times?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- J-Just once –He was quick to say, nervous. His mother's attitude wasn't improving- It was… it was the first day we went to Piltover. That day I fell and Amaranthine called him to fix a piece of my leg support …</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- He touched your- He had to squeeze his knee with his hand, trying to control the anger he felt at that- That's why you had a new screw ... Did you say something to him?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- N-No! I promise you I didn't tell him anything ... I-I don't know how he knew he is my dad...</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Viktor was silent for what seemed like hours, practically motionless except for the slight trembling in his hands. The boy didn't know whether to move, he didn't know if he was in trouble, he didn't know if he should go to his room. His mother was already overworked enough and he did not know what to do to make him feel better.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few moments, there was finally some reaction. The older one stood up and put all his things on the table; the backpack they had brought, the jacket he was wearing and the scarf, he just left it all on the table. Staying in his normal outfit. Everything was left on the desk but his… mask. That was not good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Mom? –He asked shy and nervous-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You have ten minutes to return my augmentations  –He said before leaving the living room, going to his laboratory-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Okay, the situation was officially very bad. His mother spoke in a tone that left no room for discussion and he knew that he was not going to do anything wrong to him, but he had to obey his mother if he did not want worse consequences out of this </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He waited as long as he could and with a minute left, he went to the laboratory to give the augmentations to his mother. He did not even flinch and did not stop working, still concentrated on the pieces in front of him and still without removing his mask. He carefully put down the small flasks and returned to his room, picking up a puzzle to try to entertain himself and try to… forget about the situation for a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Possibly they would not go back to Piltover again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Possibly he would never see his dad again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mom seemed to be very immersed in his work and that was never a good thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hoped the situation would not get much worse.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so the days went by for everyone in Piltover and Zaun. There was nothing that attracted much attention. The harbor was as busy as ever, Jinx's attacks continued as normal, and a chemical spill or two happened in Zaun. Everything was really quiet, in a way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But sadly, in those days things did change for some. Although on the outside it did not seem like a big thing, those were changes for the worse. But also, some of those hoped that things would change again and flow towards a good path.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That's how Dacyan got up for weeks now, hoping that when he left his room, things would be different. And that day was the same, he woke up, got up, and after stretching, he left his room expecting to see his mother sitting at the small kitchen table, with a glass of sweet milk and waiting for him to come to have breakfast together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he was greeted by the same scenario that was becoming the norm. A plate of food and a glass of juice, distant metal ringing coming from the laboratory giving him the signal that his mother had been working since early hours in the morning. He doubted that he had gone to sleep in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed softly and disappointed went to sit at the table to eat his breakfast, sad and alone because his mother was not going to come to eat with him no matter how much he begged him to come. He had already tried. And it's not that his mother was mad at him, he doubted that he was capable of that in the first place, but he had been so… distant and so involved in his work, that he no longer paid much attention to him. And it's not like he neglected him either, because he didn't. He kept the repairs on his legs up to date, prepared all his meals for the day, if he wanted something he would give it to him. Of course, everything except going back to Piltover. He had tried it once and he did saw his mother angry at that, he threatened that they would move to Ionia if he asked again. They both knew that was stupid and he wasn't serious about that, but it wasn't nice to see him angry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In general, his visits to the outside had been very limited, they hardly left the house anymore and the most he could do was play with Naph outside his house, at the most until the entrance of Emberflit Alley. Where his mother could still watch him through the iridoscopes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which was, extremely boring.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So he had chosen to… escape sometimes from home for a few moments. But they were very rare moments since his mother hardly ever left in the first place. And it was incredible the ability he had to watch over him and at the same time be with his left arm open, working on replacing his human parts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed softly again, finishing his meal. He couldn't do much, he could only try to make the best out of the current situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He got up from the table and took his dishes to wash them, but he got concerned when he saw the sink. Completely clean, there were only the utensils that his mother used to prepare her breakfast on the drying rack. But there were no other dishes other than the ones he was washing, there wasn't even a glass other than his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That put him off quite a bit and left him even more worried, he was beginning to think that his mom wasn't eating at all. During the time that he was awake, he never saw him eat, but he hoped that he was eating, even a little bit, during the night.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> He dried his hands and went to the laboratory, to see how his mother was. He was practically in the same position as yesterday, the only indication that he moved at some point, was that there was more clutter on the table.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Se secó sus manos y fue al laboratorio, para ver cómo estaba su madre. Prácticamente estaba en la misma posición que ayer, si no fuera porque había más desorden en la mesa, pensaría que ni siquiera se había movido de ahí.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Good morning mom…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Good morning.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't even turn around. Now he starting to get really upset, he missed the hugs from his mom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Could you play the piano later? You haven't played it in a long time and I miss it…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I can't, I'm sorry. I'm busy.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Now it was personal, this was serious. If his mother didn't want to play the piano, something was really wrong. He had to find a way to fix that and he had to do it soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps his mother did not eat because he did not like what they had in the house ... Surely something very delicious would cheer him up! He hadn't had time to buy something at Piltover, so he would use that money to buy something delicious for his mom now, maybe a dessert.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But ... how would he go out to buy it?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- VIKTOOOR! –A scream was heard from outside and some knocks on the door- I need your help! There was an accident in one of the factories!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ekko couldn't have come at a better time, he had to thank him later. The white-haired teen wouldn't stop banging on the door until Viktor came out and he knew his mother wasn't going to refuse to go. It was the perfect opportunity to go buy him something and surprise him when he came back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Viktor sighed heavily and set down the tools he was using on the table, taking his mask and placing it on his face. He knew he wasn't going to refuse. He stood up and took his cane, starting to head for the exit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'm going out, I hope I won’t take too long-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- VIKTOOOR!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I- He sighed heavily- Don't touch anything in my lab, there are cookies in the pantry, and please study the notes and sheet music I left you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, mom. Be careful, I love you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I will  –He took a quick moment to hug his son- I love you too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that he finally walked to the entrance of the house, putting all the possible locks after getting out, and then finally he went to the place of the emergency with the white-haired teen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The boy waited for the noise from outside to completely dissipate and once it did, he ran to his room. He quickly changed his pajamas and took a bag with his money and climbed into his closet, then went out through the skylight there. It wasn't exactly the safest thing to do, but it worked. A few times the mechanisms of his legs came out somewhat damaged, but his mother never realized that it was because of that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked a little more on the roof of some houses and got off almost at the entrance of the alley, using some boxes to get down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made sure that his mother was not around and finally started to walk through Zaun.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was determined to find something that could make his mom happy.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Decision, determination, or sheer stubbornness, depending on who in the family you asked, but it seemed to be something they shared in common. As the little black-haired boy was not the only one looking for something and determined to find it, not willing to return home without a gift.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because the defender of tomorrow, just happened to also be in Zaun. Looking everywhere for a sign of his son or Viktor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, just happened to be there… no. He'd had to buy an expensive custard and spend hours convincing Caitlyn to let him go patrol Zaun with her. His meeting with Viktor in Piltover hadn't gone well and this was his plan B, go find them in Zaun. But without looking like a kidnapper. And that's why he had spent a lot of money on the dessert, because, although he was friendly with Caitlyn, he knew that she was not going to be easy to convince.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… In the end, he had to buy another custard and a box of fine and expensive Ionian tea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he got her to let him go patrol with Vi. So it was something.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And while he kept looking… he was starting to get frustrated. He had not seen absolutely anything of the black-haired man and the little boy for weeks. He was beginning to curse a lot at Viktor's ability to stay in one place for long periods of time. Which also worried him, that ability never came to a good end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> At least in this situation, it had been good to be "patrolling" with Vi and not Caitlyn, since they were currently both sitting on a bench, taking a little break. The black-haired woman would have put him on patrol and he was not interested in Zaun's people, even less with the frustration and anger that was beginning to fill his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Can you stop? I can hear you thinking and it's really annoying –Said the pink-haired woman, with a slight frown and still with her hands behind her head- Still can't find what you're looking for, pretty boy?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- If I had found it, I wouldn't be here, would I? -He said sarcastically, passing his hammer from one hand to the other.- Don't think you're a rainbow of a person, I don't know how Caitlyn can put up with you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I could say the same about you –She said laughing, opening one eye to look at the other- Anyway, what the hell are you looking for here?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'm looking for my son -He said determined, still looking to the front-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You with a son? Nice joke Jayce! -She said laughing a little-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- It's not a joke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And a loud laugh was heard in the place, coming from the pink-haired woman and thus making his anger grow bigger. She stayed like this for a while, until she started hitting the ground, out of breath for laughing so much</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Poor brat…! -She said while still trying to catch her breath- What a father he got!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'd appreciate it if you didn't call him a brat -He said annoyed, crossing his arms-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'm not doing it in a bad way -She said, laughing a little, tapping his work partner's shoulder- But I still hold onto what I said, poor child. You are not exactly known for being good with children. Or people in general. Which brings me to the next question, how the hell did someone put up with you long enough to have a child with you?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Fuck you Vi, I'm a very nice person when I want to. The thing is, I rarely want to –He snorted and returned his attention to step in front of them- And my son has an incredible mother, he made me want to be nice to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- So why aren't you two together then? -She said, rolling her eyes-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Because… I wasn't very nice to him. -He sighed heavily and ran one of his hands through his hair- But I'm here for a reason, I'm determined to fix the situation. But it seems they are hiding.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- And you don't think it's for a good reason? Your ex doesn't seem to want to see you again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I don’t care, and Viktor knows very well that I don't give up easily-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Stubborn-she said between fake coughs-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- The thing is, -He glared at the pink-haired girl- I'm not going to leave without at least knowing Viktor forgives me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Definitelyveryfuckingstubborn-she said again between more fake coughs-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Seriously, how does Caitlyn stands you-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> He was about to start arguing again with the pink-haired woman when something in the corner of his vision caught his eye. A black-haired boy with bright blue eyes was glued to a store window, looking at the products inside. It almost seemed that Progress day was still going on and they were on that Piltovian street again. And when the boy turned to enter the store, he was able to fully confirm that it was him. Thank you universe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait, no. Dacyan got into the store and he was losing sight of him again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'll be right back - He was telling Vi in a hurry and immediately he went to the store-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And all of the things he expected to find inside, he certainly did not expect to find his son fighting with the clerk. Oh no, that man was certainly looking for things to go wrong in his life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I do have the money! –The boy spoke annoyed, pointing to a piece of strawberry cake- Eight silver cogs and four bronze washers, that's what it says there!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, well ... now it's worth ten silver cogs –the seller answered arrogantly- Look kid, go away. I don't want people like you to ruin my store.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That man definitely did not want to be happy that day, he was looking for bad things, and very bad things to happen to him. He immediately stormed up to the counter and pulled out several golden hexes and practically smashed them on the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Give me that piece of strawberry cake -He said furious, but then he bent down to be able to pick up his son and hold him with one of his arms- Do you want something else son?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I want a piece of chocolate cake –he said, smiling triumphantly, happy that now the owner couldn't say anything-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You heard him, a piece of chocolate cake. And keep the change, surely a place of this... quality –He said and gave a disgusted look around the place- needs it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> And any desire to protest that the man had, was taken away when he saw the hammer of the Piltovian. And he had been given more money than the order was worth, so he had to keep quiet and just serve them. He took the cakes they had ordered, put them in a box, and silently handed them over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And once they had their food, the brown-haired man left the place with his son still in his arms. Not entirely happy, but he would take care of that later. He would talk to his employers to see what… changes could be made to that store.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But hey, now he should focus on more important things. Like his son. He walked back to the bench he was on and saw that Vi was no longer there, it didn't matter, he would see her later. He sat there and once he was able to put his hammer against the bench, he gave his son a big hug.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I missed you so much Dacyan  –he said smiling, without letting go of his son- I was starting to think I would not be able to find you, I've been looking for you and your mother for days.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- We have spent a lot of time at home –he said happily and after making sure that the cakes would not be crushed, he returned the hug-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Don't say that, I'll come back as many times as necessary. I told you that I was going to do things well and I won’t go back on my word -He gave one last squeeze in that hug and separated from his son- How is Viktor?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Working… -He said, slightly uncomfortable, moving his feet. He did not want to talk about it, he still hoped that his mother would return to how normally he was, and that way he would have more good things to tell his father. He wanted to talk more time with him- Are you going to go if mom isn't here?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Of course not –He said slightly insulted, but then sighed softly- Viktor hasn't spoken very highly of me to you right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- He barely ever told me things about you ... but one day I got him to give me a picture of you two! –He said proudly- He doesn't like to talk about you… but of the things I know, most of them are good. I think.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I don't blame him, I'm not exactly a nice person. -He laughed lightly and put a hand on the back of his neck for a moment- I know I made mistakes, but I'm here to fix them. I will not abandon either of you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You are weird, but I like you –the child said smiling, hugging his father's arm for a few seconds- I also want you to stay… I want to know many things. I want you to see my machines! I know you're very good at it, just like mom. I want to know what you do in Piltover, what is your house like? Do you have a very large window just like Mom said? Oh! Do you still play the cello? I want to hear it one day! I'm also learning about music, and Mom is going to buy me a violin!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Breathe, there is time for everything -he said smiling at the enthusiasm of his son- I would be more than delighted to see your talent and the things you work on. In Piltover I work for one of the merchant clans and yes, my house has a large window. I promise to take you there so you can see it yourself as soon as possible, with Mom's permission of course. I still have my cello, yeah. The one your mom gave me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Like mom's piano!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, I bought him that piano –He said happily, and then he became intrigued- And are you learning to play the violin? That's excellent, you're a little genius. Although I did not expect anything less knowing your mother is Viktor. He is the smartest person I know, but don't tell him I said that. –He said jokingly- And how are you doing with that violin? Do you already know a song?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And after that, they got into a long conversation. About violins, music, basic robotics advice, how rude the cafeteria man had been, among other things. Nothing very important, but a very pleasant and beautiful conversation after all. He was curious about how the little boy seemed to understand him and he could follow the conversation very well, he didn’t get annoyed or lost his patience, if he did not understand something he was not afraid to ask. But Viktor had raised him so it was not at rare that he had copied some aspects of his mother's personality. It was weird in a good way because he wasn't good with children and he was afraid that Dacyan wouldn't accept him or like him, that he would just refuse to talk to him or something, but it was the opposite. His son was perfect, he was an amazing kid and he felt too lucky that he was like that. Now there was someone else who was willing to put up with his horrible personality and he wasn't afraid to talk back to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They continued talking for a long time and the boy was almost finishing his piece of cake when someone interrupted them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The white-haired teen was returning from helping in the incident at the factory when he saw that scene in the background. Dacyan happily eating cake with Jayce next to him. He first thought something like: Ugh, what the hell is Dacyan doing with that egotistical poster boy? but then he remembered that the mother of that child could not even stand to see that poster boy in a photo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that said mother of that child was not too far behind him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He immediately ran to where the boy was and took him in his arms, putting him on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Ekko! What are you doing? I'm fine, he is my dad –He said protesting a little-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes, he is my son and I do not appreciate how you are handling him -He said, starting to get a little mad-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Okay, so which one of you is going to deal with Viktor then? Who is coming behind me and thinks that his son is still at home?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Oh. That… that indeed was a problem.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I don’t care! –Said the child kicking a little- I want to stay, I'm already out. And we got him a cake!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Kid, I'm just trying to help you –said the white-haired man, trying to take the boy away without him moving too much-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- And I need to talk to Viktor, so you don't have to take him away like that  -Jayce said worriedly, standing up-  At least let me take him home if he has to go now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You are not helping poster boy -He said slightly annoyed- What little I know of Viktor is that he really does not like you and he will not be happy when-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Ekko? Why do you have my son on-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The black-haired man, who came back dirty and tired, which was the usual after helping in an accident, at first he only saw his son kicking at Ekko's shoulder, who instead struggled to keep him from falling. And again, due to the aforementioned fatigue, he had not noticed what was behind them, but the flash of that hammer did not go unnoticed and neither did the jacket</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone froze for different reasons, but one thing everyone seemed to agree on was that… Viktor wasn't happy and seemed to be 0.2 seconds away from sending them all to hell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Ekko put Dacyan down right now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Immediately sir -He said in a hurry, lowering the boy from his shoulders and leaving him in front of the black-haired man- Goodbye kid -He said then he left quickly because he did not want any more problems-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Are you angry? -The boy asked nervously-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Yes –He said extending his hand to his son for him to take it-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Viktor, Dacyan wasn't doing anything wrong, we've been sitting here for a while-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Jayce –he said firmly, shutting up the Piltie- I'm not mad at him and honestly, this doesn't concern you. So for your sake, get out. Because I am indeed furious and you don't want to see the consequences of that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And the moment his son took his hand, he began walking home, leaving Jayce behind and hoping that he would not follow them, but in those moments he thought it was very difficult. And he was right because as soon as the brunette could react again, he took his hammer and began to follow them. He'd had a hard enough time finding them and he wasn't going to lose sight of them now</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Viktor, enough. You can't avoid me forever.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Watch me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They kept walking or rather almost running; Viktor trying to lose Jayce, Dacyan struggling not to let go of his mother's hand, and Jayce doing his best to keep them from walking away. They went into alleys, crossed small plazas, went downstairs, but they were still in the same situation. Viktor couldn't get away and Jayce wasn't going to give up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They reached the point where they no longer had anywhere to flee, they had reached the end of Emberflit and therefore the older's house. He rushed to open the door, put his son in, and couldn't fully close the door, as Jayce's disgusting hammer blocked the door before he could close it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan go to your room, now -He said firm and somewhat desperate, starting to use his cane to hit the hammer and pushing the door to try to close it- Jayce fuck you, I told you to leave!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy, knowing that he was already in enough trouble and knew that this situation was not going to end well, hurried to his room, hoping that everything would end somewhat right. Things couldn’t get that bad. Right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viktor was still struggling with the brunette, who did not give up on trying to open the door, pushing with his hammer. But unfortunately for the black-haired man, he knew he had never been a very strong person and in that aspect, the brunette was much better than him. So it was only a matter of time. And so, the door did not take much longer to give in, pushing the black-haired man suddenly and making him fall to the ground. Jayce fully opened the door and quickly reached down so he could take the raven by the arm and help him up. The black-haired man could not prevent that from happening, but once he was on his feet, he pushed the other away from him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Do not touch me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Viktor enough –He said sighing- Our fight has lasted long enough and I know that it is mostly my fault, but I am here to correct it. We need to talk and fix this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I have nothing to talk about with you. Get out of here, I think you're smart enough to understand simple instructions. Although I may be wrong.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'm not leaving, Viktor- He let out a slight groan of frustration, putting his hammer aside- Don't you think this was difficult for me too? You hide for years and when you suddenly reappear, a child also appears with you. I-I… I didn't want to think about that, fearing that it would not be my child, and then had to face those consequences and face reality. Because you know very well that I am selfish and I wanted with all my might for that child to be my son.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viktor didn't want to accept that, he wanted to think that this was all a lie, that Jayce was still selfish, and that he only thought about himself. He wanted that bad image of the Piltie that he had formed to remain intact, the Jayce that he loved so much could not return to the surface. It would destroy the little bubble he had created to protect himself and let all the guilt flood in.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>- Well, it's not your son, so you can go-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Say that to my face! -He exclaimed angrily- Take off that damn mask, look me in the eyes and dare to tell me that Dacyan is not my son!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn't, they both knew very well that he couldn't deny such a thing. Mask or no mask, he was not brave or cowardly enough to deny that fact.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- And that child is so ... wonderful -He said with a soft sigh of happiness- He looks so much like you, he is so beautiful. I'm just starting to get to know him and I'm not going to abandon him, I am not going to abandon you both. I have the right to have him in my life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Y-You have no right to anything…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I do have it Viktor. We both made mistakes, but you owe that much to me, I deserve to be in your lives.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That brought Viktor out of his internal fight with his emotions; guilt, remorse, and sadness, which suddenly stopped and gave way to an enormous rage and anger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, he was right, Jayce was still selfish and he kept showing it every second. The Jayce he had loved so much was gone years ago and would not return. He didn't care about anything that wasn't for his benefit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I... I owe you something? –He said furiously, letting his cane fall to the ground- After everything you did, do you think you have the right to come back as if nothing happened and make demands?!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Viktor, we both made mistakes and made bad decisions. You can't just blame me for this.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The black-haired man brought his hands to the back of his head to remove the locks that held his mask on so that he could take it off. Jayce wanted him to remove his mask and tell him the truth, he would do just that. He took off his mask and threw it on the ground, and a face full of anger and tears of rage was what the brunette saw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eyes full of fury and pain, something the other had never seen before. Viktor was a person who was rarely angry, he was very reserved and he always kept things to himself to the point of causing him damage afterward. Since, by closing himself so much, he eventually couldn't take the pressure and his anger exploded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> Very, very few times Jayce had seen the other like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he certainly never had seen him with such anger, as he was witnessing now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- You almost took away the two most important things in my life and I have to be happy because you came back?!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Viktor, what… What are you talking about?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- DACYAN ALMOST DIED THAT NIGHT! - He screamed furiously, but also in pain as he had to remember the horrible events the night his laboratory was destroyed- I begged you to stop for a reason and you didn't even hesitate for a second!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took Jayce a second to process and understand those words, but when he did, a great emptiness and dread logged in his chest. He felt nauseous thinking about what could have happened that day, and it would have been his fault. Viktor hadn't run to save himself, he was running to save his son. Did they… did they get out on time? Then he remembered the first day he met Dacyan and how he had repaired the device that supported his legs. His son had trouble walking because of him... Viktor had not been able to get to the boy in time. He had done more damage than he thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He really felt bad, physically bad, the nausea was getting stronger, as well as a big headache that was beginning to appear. He felt weak and that was visible, an opportunity that the black-haired man used to finally push him far enough so that he wasn't blocking the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was not even two seconds out of the place when Viktor slammed the door and began to put all the locks he had on, he did not want Jayce to try to force his entrance again. He leaned with his back against the door, as a last measure to prevent that door from opening. As that was going to make a difference with all the locks he had already put on. But his defenses were beginning to break down and perhaps maintaining that physical barrier would give him the strength to keep his internal barriers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the other side of the door, the brunette was in no better condition. A lot of information, a lot of it was still confusing and tangled, but it had been just as difficult to digest. The situation was worse than he thought and Viktor was much more affected than he thought. This was not going to be easy. But now more than ever, he owed it to Viktor to make things right.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He approached the door and placed a hand on it, to feel a little more connected to the black-haired man.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I don't know where to start... and this is not an excuse, I know that possibly nothing I say is going to make up for what I did, but ... I'm sorry, for everything. I shouldn't have insisted on coming here today, I should have taken the situation with more calm. I should have done things your way ... but I don't think I've ever been good at that. -He let out a small, tired laugh-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He rested his forehead on the metal door and closed his eyes. He swore for a moment that could hear Viktor's heavy breathing and he wanted nothing more than to hold him in his arms and to be able to tell him that everything was going to be okay. But it was not the time yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Viktor, I love you… I never stopped loving you. Before I did not fight for you and I regret it with all my soul. But I won't make the same mistake again. I will return as many times as necessary ... until you are willing to listen to me, I plan to fight to have you both in my life -He smiled softly, clenching his fist a little- You are my Iris, do you still remember it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At this, Viktor's eyes widened in surprise, and he could only slide to the ground and cover his mouth with his hands so that the other would not hear the sobs that began to come out. Did Jayce still remember that? Of all things, he remembered that... No, that must be a lie. It was such a small detail... not even when he had a good relationship with the brunette, he never thought Jayce would remember that. So for him to say that after all those years...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- “The sun rises when you and I meet, and when the wind blows, you will know my heart.” –He recited with a soft voice- I know that the wind will reunite us again and when it does… I hope I can see your smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then there were some soft noises and then silence. The piltie had finally left.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leaving the black-haired man still sitting on the ground, pain, and guilt invading his body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thought that Jayce didn't care, that he never had. That was what he thought when he had returned angry and hurt to Zaun after Stanwick took credit for his work, after not receiving support. But that story, that phrase… he had mentioned it to Jayce three or five times at most. And after all these years… he still remembered every word and how much it meant to him. Was he truly sorry? Had he taken away his son's chance to have a father?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took the strength to stand and slowly walked to the room where his precious piano was, not even bothering to pick up his cane or pick up his mask. He just walked to the piano and sat on the stool. He stared at the instrument as if he wanted to play a little and then nothing else… he fell on it, on the keyboard cover. Where the sobs returned, this time with nothing to silence them. He was tired, he was very tired. Years of keeping a lie had worn him down and he didn't know if he could take much longer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His arms felt weak and heavy at the same time, he was really tired, he struggled to keep his eyes open.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes, his body gave way, he let out the last sobs, and he fell asleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Dacyan woke up the next day, he didn't know what to expect. On the one hand, he expected to see a single plate on the table again and his mother working in the laboratory, as had happened for several weeks now. But after the fight he had with his dad, he knew it wasn't going to be like this. The night before, the last time he had seen him he was asleep on the piano, with old tears streaks on his face, indicating that he had been crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… At least he had gotten some sleep since he had a feeling he hadn't done that for a good time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So when he left his room, he expected anything at that point. Although he expected that his mother would be a bit upset at him for spending time with his father, he knew that he did not like him, but he never thought that it was that much. Well, now that strawberry cake slice would turn into be an apology cake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But when he left his room, nothing could be heard, there was too much silence. That made him worried.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He went down to the kitchen and to his surprise, there was not a plate there, there was nothing. Was his mom so upset that he hadn't even made him breakfast?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He quickly went to his mother's room, thinking that he would be there resting since yesterday he saw him sleeping. Maybe he just changed places. But he opened the door and nothing, the bed looked like it hadn't been used in days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then he ran to the laboratory, thinking that he would be there working, but he was not there either. That made him worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran to the front door and realized that the locks were still on, his mother's cane and mask were still lying on the ground. It didn't look like they had been moved since yesterday…Oh no.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He ran to the small room where the piano was and there he did find his mother, still leaning on the piano, as he had seen him the night before. His hair looked messier than usual and his breathing was still somewhat uneven.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He… he didn't move at all?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He approached slowly and put a hand on his mom's forehead. At least he didn't seem sick. Maybe he was just tired…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Mom ... -He began to gently shake his arm, trying to wake him- Wake up ... it's not good for you to sleep here…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The oldest woke up very surprised and scared, standing up suddenly. But due to his lethargic state, he lost his balance and almost fell, he had to hold onto his piano to keep himself from falling. And all this, scared the little boy more. His mother was always calm, collected and he had never seen him so nervous, that was not normal, his mother was not okay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took the oldest a few seconds to focus and realize that his son was looking at him with concern. He was a bit puzzled to see that they were in the piano room until he remembered the events of the night before. Had he stayed there all night?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan, What ... What time is it?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Eight in the morning…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Your breakfast ... -He said still slightly sleepy, but a little alarmed. He had been so careless- I'm sorry... I'll prepare it right away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The little boy did not have time to say anything else, as his mother quickly went to the kitchen to prepare the food. He did not mind the breakfast, he would have preferred for his mother to continue resting, but he did not think he would have paid any attention to him anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked slowly to the kitchen and when he arrived, her mom was finishing making breakfast, a simple sandwich, and some cookies. He also filled a glass with juice and then put everything on the table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'm sorry that breakfast is so simple, I promise that tomorrow I'll prepare something better. -He lightly rubbed his eyes with his left hand, and then started to leave the room-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Mom... are you okay? –The child asked worriedly, ignoring the food for a moment- You should go to rest…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'm fine, do not worry. –He said when he stopped by the words of his son- And I have work to do, I cannot rest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- But you've been working for days! -He raised his voice a little, worried- You can't go on like this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'm fine Dacyan –He said firmly, without looking at him- I have things to do, I'll be in the laboratory if you need something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without saying anything more, the older man withdrew himself to go to his laboratory, to try to find some peace in his work. Some distraction. Something to forget about the problems around him and the guilt that was consuming him from inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dacyan felt helpless, his mother was not well and he felt bad knowing that there was nothing he could do to change that. He knew that his mother acted strong in front of him, but how he would like for his mother to understand it didn't have to be that way all the time. He had raised and cared for in such a good way, now it was time for him to take care of himself as well. He wanted to see him happy and feared that if he continued like this, he would seriously hurt himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reluctantly, he sat down at the table and began to eat breakfast, in silence. Listening to how his mom worked in the background.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sadly, that was going to become a pattern. Where his mother only worked, he came to make food for him and left him to eat alone just to continue working. And it didn't matter that he did things to get his mom's attention or distract him from his work, nothing worked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least there was something good in that sad pattern.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Every day, more or less around the same time, someone would come knocking on the door. Viktor would look through the iridoscope and then he would lock himself for a few hours in the piano room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first day he was curious and when he went to look at the iridoscope himself, he saw that it was his father. He ran excitedly to the door, but this time his mom heard him and he didn't let him get to the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That day he did not have time to go out through the skylight, because when his mother returned to the piano and he went out through the roof, his father had already left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he had learned from his mistake and luckily, the knocking on the door continued every day. He began to stay in or near his room and just as he heard the knocks, immediately began to climb up into the skylight. His legs were certainly going to get a little damaged, but this was worth it. So this way, it gave him some time to see his father, he would approach the edge of the rooftops, sit and talk for a few minutes with the brunette. It wasn't much, but it was a little bit of happiness in all that confusing situation they were in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Usually, they talked about how they had been, how Viktor was if he had improved if he was feeling better, or not. Sadly, Dacyan never had good news, but Jayce did his best to cheer him up a bit and began to give him little advice so that the little one could try to make his mother happier. He could never stay too long or Viktor would notice he was gone and he really didn't want him to take away his little secret entrance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought his father was going to be angry about that, but he only smiled softly, hugged him, and said goodbye with an “I love you, son, see you tomorrow”, before putting him back up on the roof and then leaving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And without fail, every day he came to his home and they had a little bit of time to share. Viktor looked more and more tired each day, but the advice his father had given him seemed to be working and he had faith that things would soon improve.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the day that marked a week of those visits, something different happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That day Dacyan waited and waited... but it seemed that that day Jayce was not coming. The knocks on the door did not appear at their usual time and it was just getting later and later. He was nervously playing with a puzzle on the kitchen table when he heard a loud noise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn't the usual knock on the door, it was like a big loud noise, like something falling, a loud “thud!”. Had someone tried to break into his house?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He got up, feeling nervous, and went to see what had happened. What he saw was worse than what he expected.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mother was laying on the ground, with some tools thrown around him, and he was not getting up. It was like progress day all over again, only this time he had no adults around him who could help his mom and he had no idea what to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He ran to where his mother was and began to shake him, becoming more alarmed when he did not move or tried to get up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- M-Mom! Mom! - He was starting to cry, still trying to get some reaction from his mother-Wake up! Y-You'll be fine… Mom!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tried to calm himself down a bit and tried to remember what his mom's friends had done the day he passed out. He should… should see if he was breathing. He stopped moving him and was greatly relieved to see that his chest was moving normally, he was still breathing, which gave him more time. Then he ran to take some books that were nearby and put them under his mother's feet, that was what Luxius's mother had done ... and Jayce had also taken out a small vial, but he did not even know what was in the vial and he had no way to get it either. He no longer knew what to do, his mother had not yet awakened and he had to seek help. Maybe Ekko could help him, but it was completely random if he would be around or not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But just as he was running to his room, ready to go out through the skylight, he heard those blessed knocks on the door. He immediately changed direction and he ran toward the entrance of the house, almost tripping on the way there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dad! –He shouted desperately, trying to remove the locks as quickly as possible- M-Mom isn't waking up!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That put Jayce on alert mode, replacing the nervousness he felt as he was late. Viktor had passed out and if it was what he believed, it was no good. He feared that the exhaustion had overtaken the black-haired man. And given how desperate his son sounded, he had a feeling it was just that. And those situations with Viktor were never just him being tired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time seemed to slow down as his son was unlocking the door, he needed to do quickly to help them both. In the end, he ended up pushing the door with his shoulder, using some force to make it open faster. Once the door was open, he met the blue eyes of his son full of tears and he wasted no time and ran off, down some stairs. Jayce wasted no time either, left his hammer at the entrance, and followed him since it was very possible that he had to carry Viktor in his arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They came to a laboratory with many experiments, mechanical parts, jars, and other things all over the place, but the most important thing was that, in the middle of the place, Viktor was lying on the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He quickly went over to check if he was breathing and make sure he was somewhat stable, which luckily he was. But if he would need medical attention, he swore that Viktor looked paler than usual, a really-not-healthy pale.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Dacyan, don't panic, but I'm going to take Viktor to the hospital -he said firmly but softly to his son, putting a hand on his shoulder to try to calm him- Everything will be fine, but it's better to see a professional and make sure that everything is fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy only nodded, still crying, but knowing that he already had help and that his father was not going to let anything happen to his mother. They were going to be fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The brunette took Viktor carefully in his arms, with one arm on his back and the other behind his knees, so he could lift him and make sure he was safe in his arms, also putting Viktor's head against his chest. Once they were ready, he walked as fast as he could to the entrance, making sure his son followed him. Once they were outside, he took his hammer as best as he could to push it away from the doorway and then stepped out onto the alley to call his pink-haired companion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Vi! Come quickly, I need help –He yelled- Hurry up!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then he returned to his son and luckily, by the time the pink-haired girl arrived, Dacyan had managed to lock the house and was waiting next to his father, clutching his jacket tightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I heard you loud and clear, you don’t have to shout –She said, sighing, as she arrived, thinking it was some nonsense from Jayce, but she was very surprised to see the actual scene- Wow, what the hell happened here? Isn't that ... the machine herald?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- I'll explain later, for now, I need you to guide us quickly to a hospital. Viktor passed out and I'm afraid he needs medical attention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- Um... there is not exactly a "hospital" in Zaun…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- The closest thing to a hospital then! We don't have time to take him to Piltover.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>- To the College of Techmaturgy then -The pink-haired woman bent down to take the boy in her arms and then put him on her back, knowing that the brunette would not leave him behind- Well, Jayce you follow me. You child, hold on tight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vi bent down one last time to pick up the hammer from the Piltie and started running towards the College, they would have to climb quite a bit, but it was faster than taking an elevator. Jayce quickly chased after her, never missing a beat or losing sight of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hoped Viktor's situation wasn't too bad, but he did want to see a doctor as soon as possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His Iris was finally back and he wasn't going to let it go again.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So here we are, the chapter is out :D</p><p>This time I took things in a more relaxed way when I was translating it and I feel so much better. Thank you so much to those who were worried uwu &lt;3</p><p>This chapter was a little bit "heavy" (If you can call it that), but from now on, it's going to be more happy-themed  (o´▽`o)</p><p>There is no music to accompany today's chapter because I have a small puzzle to see if someone knows what I am referencing in the chapter.<br/>The clues I can give are the phrase Jayce tells Viktor and the chapter name, more than that I think would give it away xD</p><p>If someone knows what it is, I will give them some sort of prize (?( <br/>Like a one-shot, if they want (?( <br/>I need more friends in that fandom (｡T ω T｡)</p><p>And just something more, I am planning on writing a Battle Academia Jayce/Viktor one-shot. But like I mentioned, I write everything in Spanish. So please tell me if that would be something you would like to read, to see if I should translate it too.</p><p>And that would be all, I hope you really enjoyed the chapter and please tell me what you thought about it!</p><p>Have a good day/evening/night  ♡( ◡‿◡ )</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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